Changing Relationships Revised
by watchitstark
Summary: Hermione comes to Hogwarts and her and McGonagall's relationship slowly change towards each other. From first year to seventh. HG/MM femmeslash. Rewritten. I thought it sucked.
1. Chapter 1: Coming To Hogwarts

_**A/N: So this is my attempt at rewriting this. I read it over a few weeks ago and realised it sucked. So I'm going to start this in a new story and hope it works out. It's going to be in Third Person, I hate First a lot, and reading it over that really annoyed me. I'm using the storyline from the other one, just making the writing a whole load better. If you want to see the difference between them then read the other one. Some bits of speech I have taken directly from the book, like I should have done when I wrote it the first time.**_

**Changing Relationships Revised** **Chapter One: Arriving At Hogwarts**

A bushy- haired wide eyed girl stepped out the first small, magical boat to glide into the Boat House and gazed up at the huge castle that lay in front of her. There was a big man bellowing for them to follow him through the grounds, Harry had said that he was called Hagrid and looked after the grounds here at her future home, the place that she would be spending the majority of her time for the next seven years. She set off at a brisk pace, grinning from ear to ear. Hermione had high hopes for herself this year, and she was determined to make some friends, something that she had never had before, and making a good first impression was what counted her parents had always told her. When they had made it up the mountains and mountains of stairs that somehow she still felt buoyant and not at all out of breath, even though PE was not her strong point. She looked around her and noticed that everyone looked the same, and not even that nasty looking blonde boy was managing to hide his awe of the majestic building. They reached the Entrance Hall and were startled out of their admiration by clipped Scottish tones coming from the top of the small set of steps in the middle of the room. The revered Minerva McGonagall looked down on her new set of First Years and tried to spot potential Gryffindors. There was another Weasley, a Gryffindor for sure, and then there was Potter who looked very malnourished; she knew that he should never have gone with the Muggles. She spotted a couple of girls that were staring at her in shock, like they couldn't believe that she existed, and then she noticed that one or two of the students looked interested and engaged, Ravenclaws for sure. She guided them into a smallish chamber off to the side of the hall.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you can take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each have produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope that each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up while you are waiting."

Hermione was nervous, more nervous than before her SATs tests even. They were lined in front of the whole school and she watched as each child went up to the hat and put it on their head before it shouted whatever house that they were best suited to. The brunette started to panic, what if the hat announced that she was too Muggle? What if it turned out to be a trick that all of the dumb rich kids had played on her, or if it was one of those reality TV shows? Her mind was in full-out panic mode when her name was called and she walked on wobbly legs over to the stool in a trance and dimly somewhere in the back of her brain she registered the feeling of the hat being placed on her head and the brim slipping over her eyes. I was startled out of my reverie by someone talking in my ear, and as I realised it was the hat I looked around frantically to see if the rest of the room could hear but they were just looking at the hat expectantly.

"Mmmm... See now that is what I call talent. You could go far; once that head's filled with knowledge I could see you up with Dumbledore... But all that courage... You will have a main part in adventures to come Hermione my girl. And don't worry about the rules... for most of your adventures are more important than that... So... Gryffindor!" Hermione stood up quickly and handed the hat back to the stern professor, not looking at her as she was still deep in thought. Letting go of the rules? She wasn't sure if she could do that. But by the sounds of it, she was going to get a chance to prove herself, if what the hat said was true anyway. Minerva looked after the girl and couldn't help but feel glad that those inquisitive eyes were in her house, she looked to be brimming with knowledge and a need to learn, Minerva had learnt to pick up on those things during her years at Hogwarts. When the students were finally done she was left to ponder upon the bushy- haired girl. After she had taken off the hat and ran down to the Gryffindor table she had noticed that she looked confused and a little troubled and she wondered what little titbit of advice the Sorting Hat had given that had made that frown cross her features. Meanwhile, down at the Gryffindor table while she was eating dessert Hermione was studying the teachers, and couldn't help but wonder why that sallow man with greasy hair was glaring at Harry; there must be History there she concluded. When she got to the man with a long silver beard tied with a tinkling bell and twinkling blue eyes he smiled at her and nodded in her direction before unwrapping a sherbet lemon and popping it into his mouth. She moved her eyes further up the table and saw that McGonagall looked like she was puzzling over something but she suddenly looked up and noticed Hermione looking at her, who just smiled and turned back to her chocolate mousse.

_**A/N: **_**_Please review and tell me whether it's better than the last._**


	2. Chapter 2: Transfiguration Class

_**A/N: There will be some actual talking between our two favourite girls in this chapter, whereas it was all scene setting in the last.**_

**Chapter Two: Transfiguration Class**

The bushy- haired girl was buzzing with excitement; her first Transfiguration lesson was today. No one else had understood why that was the reason the first time that she had told them, various people noticed that she was strangely excited and expecting to hear her say that there was a book that was the cause they were surprised to hear that it was in fact actually her first Transfiguration lesson. Most people weren't looking forward to it because they knew that McGonagall was a right stickler for the rules and could be very, very strict. But somehow, this made it all the more exciting for Hermione; she knew that McGonagall wouldn't take points needlessly, not even from her rival house. McGonagall was in a similar position, she loved her first lessons with her new First Years, doing an easy Transfiguration to break them in, giving them the safety talk, and she especially enjoyed her first Gryffindor and Slytherin lesson. She would get to see how steep the rivalry was already, and she would be able to try to make them be rivals, but not to hate each other. It never worked of course, because then Snape would come along and mess things up by being especially cruel to the Gryffindors. Also, she had a prospective good student in this class already; Hermione Granger. She had checked up with the other teachers and they had all given her a good report, apart from Snape of course but she never took anything that he said into account to be honest. He had said that the Malfoy boy had talent, but she had heard from the other teachers that he was just another one of your average Malfoys; nasty and arrogant. She rounded another corner in another one of the expansive corridors in Hogwarts and saw that Hermione was waiting by the door to her classroom. She fought a smile and came to stop in front of her eager young pupil.

"And why, may I ask, Miss Granger, are you so early to my lesson?" She couldn't stop the smile that was blossoming on her face, but she at least managed to keep it to a small one. The tall witch turned to her door and waved her wand, opening it and beckoning Hermione inside.

"I'm just so intrigued by the thought of Transfiguration!" She said excitedly, throwing her bag down on the table. "I've been looking forward to this all week!" She exclaimed and sat at a table right in the middle of the front row.

"What is it about Transfiguration that intrigues you?" Minerva asked interestedly.

"Well, just the thought that you could change something into something else at will… It seems like an invaluable power to have. Although I suppose that it can be used wrongly, and there are restrictions like Gamp's Five Laws to Transfiguration, but apart from that, I suppose that you can change anything into anything else at will, with the correct skill anyway." Minerva was slightly taken aback at how much Hermione knew already, and could gladly tell that she was star pupil material.

"How much reading have you managed to do already Hermione?"

"Well, around my essays I have managed to do quite a lot, but I don't see why no one else has, don't they want to do well?"

"No, they just don't have your single-minded determination and work-ethic." The class started to file in then and Hermione settled in to listen to Minerva lecture on all the things that they should and shouldn't do to make sure that they're safe.

Hermione and the rest of the class sniggered when Harry and Ron arrived ten minutes late, flushed, bedraggled and out of breath. They both glanced despairingly at the only two seats left; at the front next to Hermione. The look wasn't missed by Minerva who glared at them and told them to get to their seats quickly.

"I'm sure that the class will be glad to hear that these shall be your seats for the rest of the year." She announced as Harry and Ron sat down. She assigned the work, which was to turn a match into a needle, nice and easy to get them started, and then smiled when she saw that Hermione's needle had already gone silver at one end. Hermione was almost sweating with the effort; she flicked her wand gracefully and spoke the incantation loudly and clearly. On the third try she noticed that it was silver, sharp at one end and had a hole at the other. Minerva had been keeping an eye on her and she noticed straight away and proudly strode over to her new star pupil.

"15 points to Gryffindor for managing the spell on the third try." She declared loudly to the class and everyone looked over at the bushy brunette, the Slytherins glaring and the Gryffindors beaming, always cheerful when someone one-upped the Slytherins, even if she wasn't one of their friends.

"What should I do now Professor?" Hermione asked quietly.

"You can start the essay that I've set for homework; I daresay that you've got the necessary books in your bag." She said, her voice laced with humour as she eyed the very heavy and very large bag that was under Hermione's desk. The owner of afore mentioned bag grinned and blushed, nodding her head. The older witch flicked her wand in the direction of the board and the essay question appeared on the board; Hermione was already diving for parchment and a Muggle pen, of which she had brought numerous; she much preferred a fountain pen over a quill which were fussy and often irritating, plus they made her hand ache much quicker than a Muggle pen would.

At the end of the lesson Hermione went up to Minerva's desk and handed over the essay, which she had already finished in the lesson with a smile.

"I used the books that I had to add in some extra information that no one else will probably look up." She said with a cute blush rising over the tops of her cheekbones.

"You're finished?" Minerva asked, stunned; it had been a brutal essay and she was expecting it to take a long time just to get the basics into essay form but extra information as well? She still held her hand out and received the essay on automatic.

"Yes Professor, I've got hand cramp now though." Hermione laughed.

"How long is it?" Hermione bit her lip.

"Well, its 5 foot, and I know that you only asked for 4 but I couldn't help myself."

"I'm impressed," Minerva murmured then realised that Hermione looked nervous. "I'm not like Professor Snape Miss Granger, I'm not going to punish you for being an overachiever."

"It's just… I know that I shouldn't be rude about another teacher, but he told me off because it was 4 foot instead of three and a half and he refused to mark it and called me an insufferable know-it-all, again." Hermione couldn't help the tears that rose to her eyes.

"Miss Granger, do not worry about Professor Snape, he is just annoyed because the best student we've taught in a long time is not in his house. Ignore anything that he says." Minerva offered her a gentle smile and patted her hand where it lay on the desk. "Now, off to dinner with you." Hermione gave her a watery smile, sniffed and left the room.

_**A/N: I was excited to see that I already have more reviews on this than I did on the first chapter of the first time I wrote it. xD**_


	3. Chapter 3: The Troll and Getting Help

_**A/N: I noticed that I didn't put the troll in the last one, how silly of me! So I have put it into this one, and I think it works. :D**_

_**I have taken some of the speech from the book. Please, someone tell me if they think that I'm overdoing it with the taking the speech?**_

_**I don't want it all to be Canon, so some of it slightly AU, like Malfoy doesn't use the word Mudblood until Second Year.**_

**Chapter 3: The Troll and Getting Help**

Hermione pushed past them as she heard Ron say those horrible things and she couldn't help but let out a sob as she sprinted for the closest girls toilet. When she got there she locked herself a cubicle and cast a powerful silencing charm around it so that no one else could hear her cry.

Hours and hours later she was coming out of her toilet, eyes puffy and red and hair ruffled when she noticed the smell, an awful stench worthy of the boys bathroom and then her eyes were laid onto massive trunk like legs which she knew straight away could belong with only one thing; a mountain troll. The brunette let out a piercing scream and then dived back into her stall, where she was straight away smothered by debris as the troll swept his club over the tops of them.

"HERMIONE!" She straight away recognised the voices of Harry and Ron so she pulled herself up, pushing the lumps of wood and plaster off of herself. "Confuse it!" One of the two shouted and they started to shout and throw things until Harry threw himself onto its back and then stuck his wand up its nose. Both Hermione and Ron didn't know what to do because it looked like Harry was going to be thrown off when Ron took out his wand and shouted the first spell that came into his head;

"_Wingardium Leviosa!"_ He then whacked the troll round the head with its own club. The troll swayed and fell flat on its face with a sickening crunch. Harry stood up and the three of them crowded around the troll.

"Is it dead?" Hermione broke the silence tentatively.

"I don't think so; I think that it's just been knocked out." He took his wand out of the unconscious tolls nose and grimaced. "Ugh, troll bogies." He leant over and wiped the lumpy gray-ish glue like substance on the trolls own dirty shorts. Sudden noise outside and rushed footsteps made the three of them look up suddenly and back away from the gray lump spread out on the floor. Professors McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell came into the room, although the latter let out a faint whimper and sat down quickly. Minerva was furious! How could they think that they could take on a mountain troll on their own?

"What on Earth were you thinking of?" She exclaimed, her fury evident in her Scottish brogue coming back into her voice like it only did when she was feeling particularly strong emotion. Harry glanced over to Ron, who was still holding his wand in the air, like he was just as shocked with what he had done as McGonagall was. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?" The three of them looked sheepish and Snape shot Harry a glare.

"Please, Professor McGonagall – they were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!" She swirled to look at her, completely taken aback; Miss Granger go looking for a mountain troll?

"I went looking for the troll because I – I thought I could deal with it on my own – you know, because I've read all about them." Ron dropped his wand; he couldn't believe it, Hermione was covering to him when he had been so downright nasty? "If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived." The two very startled boys were trying very hard not to act like they had heard this story before. Minerva didn't believe her, and judging by the way that her eyes were red and puffy, one of the boys had made her cry, probably Weasley, and then been worried when she wasn't at the feast, and then had come here to rescue her from the troll that they knew had been in the castle.

"Well, in that case… Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own a mountain troll on your own." Hermione hung her head in shame, but not because of the reason the teachers thought, but actually she was disappointed in herself for lying to her favourite Professor. "Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this, I'm very disappointed in you." Hermione had to fight tears when she heard this, she couldn't stand it. "If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor Tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses." Hermione left the destroyed bathroom, covering her face by hanging her head so that no one could see the tears slowly making their way down her cheeks. She hadn't wanted to lie to the older witch, but she had read about this in stories, where three unlikely companions became friends because they went through something together and one of them took the blame. On the way up to the Tower she cleared herself up, wiping away the tears and when she stepped through the portrait hole she waiting awkwardly for Harry and Ron, and when they arrived they all looked at each other and then hurried off to get plates. At that moment a friendship was formed.

Minerva was sat in her study considering the anomaly that was Miss Granger. She could tell that she had lied, and had already deduced what had really happened. Why on Earth would Miss Granger lie? Of course, she knew that this would make a friendship. Minerva wasn't disappointed over the next couple of weeks, the three had become as thick as thieves, and Minerva was just glad to see Hermione happier than she had seen her so far, even she had to lie to her for that to happen.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

"You were amazing Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, patting him on the back. Harry just grinned and swept her up in a hug.

"I was so scared at the beginning! And then I just, oh Hermione, you get the biggest rush from flying! I'm still not sure why you don't like it." Harry's glasses were slightly skew-if from the force with which he had hugged Hermione. Ron was standing with him, grinning as widely as Harry.

"You were brilliant Mate." If anything, Harry's grin just got wider.

"Thanks guys." They started to walk up to the castle when Ron and Harry noticed Malfoy and his cronies getting closer, and it was obvious that they were purposefully heading in this direction.

"Bloody hell, he always has to have the last say doesn't he?" Ron said bitterly as Malfoy came to a stop in front of them.

"Oh look, it's Potty with Weasel and his Mudblood." Ron gasped and Hermione just looked confused; what on earth did that word mean, she looked at Harry who shrugged but pulled out his wand anyway. Ron whipped out his wand then noticed his friends' confused faces.

"It's a really rude word for someone with non-magical blood." He whispered. Hermione felt crushed; this was always what it came down to in the end.

"You're blood is hardly Pure, you dirty Voldemort follower." Ron spat on the ground beneath Malfoy's feet who then whipped out his wand and Crabbe and Goyle inched forward. No one noticed Minerva coming out of the stands until her Scottish brogue whipped out towards them and she came to a stop to the side of the two opposing groups of students.

"Oh stop, you boys don't know nearly enough magic to harm each other." The boys quickly put their wands away when they noticed their stern Professor. She glanced at both groups to see if anyone had been harmed when she noticed that Hermione looked distraught.

"Mr Malfoy, what did you say to Miss Granger?"

"Ermm… I- I called her a Mudblood." He muttered and Minerva felt herself fill with fury, she knew that this was one of the things that Hermione has been the most worried about when she came to Hogwarts, and then one thing that would affect her badly.

"25 points from Slytherin Malfoy and a detention with Filch." She couldn't stand blood superiority, even though she was a Pureblood herself. "Miss Granger, would you like to come to my office to discuss some of the interesting points you made in your last essay?" Hermione smiled thankfully and nodded, following Minerva up the grassy slope until Malfoy shouted up at them;

"Filthy Mudblood!" Hermione turned on him, eyes full of fury and shouted;

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" Malfoy fell to the floor and Minerva said;

"I'm going to have to take points away for that you know."

"I know, but I just couldn't resist." Hermione sniffed and wiped away her tears with a tiny smile, and Minerva offered one in return and they headed back up to the castle.

_**A/N: Phew, this is longer than the usual chapter, but then again, my chapters aren't very long and this does have two events happen in it. Thank you so, so much to everyone who reviewed, and please continue to do so! And if something sucks, please tell me so that I can attempt to change it! :D Love you guys. :D**_


	4. Chapter 4: The Philosopher's Stone

_**A/N: I can't believe how badly I messed up the other chapter is and I do have a copy of PS this time. :D**_

_**Thank you so much to everyone who's been reviewing, you guys make my world a special place, and bring a smile to my face. :D**_

**Chapter Four: The Philosopher's Stone**

"Ron!" Harry shouted and almost stepped out of the square when Hermione yelled;

"No, checkmate the king!" He stepped into the relevant square and the king threw his crown to the floor in front of Harry's feet and traipsed off the board, leaving the way to the next room clear. The two of them looked back at Ron, but as far as they were aware he was going to be fine, he looked pale, but only like he was unconscious and that his wrist or something might be broken. Hermione tensely pushed open the door out of the room and they were confronted with a horrific smell.

"Ugh… Come on…" Hermione grimaced then they stepped over the troll and proceeded into the next room and were surprised by fire springing up in both the doorway behind them and the doorway in front; the flames in front black and the ones behind purple. Hermione studied the paper and grinned; relieved. "It's a logic puzzle! Some of the greatest wizards don't have an ounce of logic so they would be stuck in here forever." Hermione couldn't stop grinning as she read it over.

"Well, won't we be stuck in here forever too?"

"Of course not, everything's here on the paper." She turned back to the bottles and then a few minutes later she cheered and grabbed two bottles and handed one to Harry.

"This will take you through the black flames. Drink first and I'll see you soon." Harry gulped it down and without further ado sped through the flames. Hermione glanced through the flames, worried. It could be Voldemort himself waiting for Harry through those flames, and even if it wasn't, Snape was very dangerous just on his own. She sighed and gulped down the potion, shivered from the cold that washed over her from head to toe and then she took a deep breath and dived through the flames, and was rather awed by the way that the purple flames flickered all around her, licking her skin like cold fingers pulling at her skin, but she didn't linger; there was no way that she wanted to suddenly be burned to a crisp in the middle of the flames because the potion wore off without warning. Once the brunette had burst out from the other end of the flames unscathed she jumped over the troll and sped to Ron's side. He was conscious now, but he was evidently in pain.

"Where does it hurt?"

"My wrist," He groaned and Hermione picked it up, she could tell it was that one from the weird way that Ron was holding it out.

"_Ferula,_" She said and a cast appeared on it. "That should be enough to keep it in position. Accio parchment, Accio quill, Accio Hedwig." Hermione said force fully and quickly gave Hedwig a letter to Professor Dumbledore then she tried not to think about what had just happened, and how Harry was, because she was scared that she would faint from shock.

By the time that Minerva and Dumbledore found them Hermione had fainted from shock and exhaustion. She was lightly shaken awake by Minerva, who looked to be very worried about her.

"Harry!" Was Hermione's first thought, not at all thinking about the fact that she had fainted, or that she was exhausted and she straight away tried to sit up but was forced to lie back down by someone with shockingly green eyes that were filled with worry. She noticed that she was lying on something comfortable, and that someone had covered her with something so that she was nice and warm. The bushy- haired brunette snuggled down further in the blanket before she raised her eyes and realised who it was.

"Professor McGonagall! I'm so glad you're here, have you seen Harry yet?"

"No, but never fear, Albus has gone to get him. Right now I'm worried about you, are you alright my dear?"

"I'm fine, really Professor! I'm worried about Harry more than anything else." Minerva rolled her eyes.

"Potter will be fine; he has this uncanny ability of springing back. Now, can you stand and walk to the Hospital Wing or am I going to have to bodily restrain you so that you don't try to run in there after Harry." It was Hermione's turn to roll her eyes.

"I'll be fine." She huffed and stood up on wobbly legs, walked a bit and then almost fell, but was caught by Minerva who gave her a stern glare.

"There is no way that you're ever going to get up the trapdoor in that state." Hermione sighed.

"I'm not sure how I would get up in normal circumstances."

"Well, I took a broom down…"

"No! Please not a broom." She moaned.

"I can levitate you up." Minerva offered.

"Okay, anything but a broom." Hermione laughed weakly and couldn't help but dread being up in the air at all. In the time that they had been talking they were now under the trap door, and Hermione almost screamed when she felt her feet leave the ground but she managed to hold it back by closing her eyes and biting her lip. When she felt her feet reach solid ground again she looked to see if Fluffy was in here but he was blissfully unaware because someone had got the harp going again. Hermione could feel another presence behind her and she turned to see Minerva just landing on the other side of the trapdoor and putting down her broom before banishing it to her quarters.

"Come on; let's get you to the Hospital Wing." Minerva sighed and started to lead Hermione out the room when Hermione stopped.

"I don't need to go to the Hospital Wing!" She argued.

"You will," Minerva said sternly. "You have to be checked over, you've been through a lot and you should probably stay overnight." Hermione gave her mutinous look.

"No! I am sooo not going to!"

"Why not?" Minerva asked calmly.

"Because I don't need to!" She argued while surreptitiously leaning against the wall, but of course Minerva noticed.

"You're exhausted, and you'll see Harry and Ron faster." Hermione shot her a glare.

"You always know the right thing to say." She sighed but pushed off the wall regardless, and they slowly walked up to the Hospital Wing, Hermione ending up leaning on Minerva slightly at some point during the trip. When they got there Hermione was changed into pyjamas with a flick of Madam Pomfrey's wand, crawled into bed and was out like a light.

"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey asked anxiously and cast a diagnostic spell which just showed that Hermione was suffering from exhaustion and shock.

"It's been a long night; Albus will explain when he gets here with the two boys." Minerva whispered and Pomfrey tutted.

"I always knew that those three were going to get in trouble, ever since the troll incident." Minerva just rolled her eyes and summoned a padded chair to sit with Hermione for what was left of the night.

When Hermione woke she noticed that someone warm was holding onto her hand, and that she was under scratchy sheets in a place that smelt of a hospital. As her foggy brain came into to focus she realised that she was in the Hospital Wing, and that she really didn't want to open her eyes, because she had a feeling that when the person realised that she was awake they would let go. She gave in; she was curious about who it was and opened her eyes, turning her head to the left to look at them at the same time. It took a while for a brain to process. She was right, the mysterious person did let go as soon as she moved.

"Professor?"

"Miss Granger." She said as an acknowledgement.

"How long have I been asleep for?"

"Well, it is now three o' clock in the afternoon the day after you silly lot threw yourselves down that trapdoor." Hermione grinned.

"We're not silly, just too brave, and proud and have a tendency to rush headlong into things." Hermione retorted, the cheeky grin still in place. Minerva just shook her head in exasperation.

"I better not end up sat at your bedside next year." Minerva warned, half-joking and half-serious.

"I don't want to end up here, but with friends like mine I'm not sure if I can stop the way that the boys attract trouble. I mean, one of my best friends is Harry Potter, there's not a lot I can do." It was like mentioning Harry triggered something in her brain. "Harry!" She sat up and tried to get out of bed but was pushed back down into bed again but Minerva. She tried several more times until Minerva glared at her.

"No, Mr Potter will be fine, and you're not getting out of bed until Poppy gives you the all clear." She said firmly and then settled back into the chair next to Hermione's bed.

_**A/N: I can never thank everyone that's been reviewing enough, but here's an extra big one; **__**THANK YOU! YOU WONDERFUL PEOPLE!**__** :D Hope you enjoyed, shouldn't be long until I update again, a couple of days like normal I hope. :D**_


	5. Chapter 5: Cat Hairs and Petrified

**Chapter 5: Cat Hairs and Petrified**

"I – I don't think I'm going to come after all, you go on without me." Hermione said in a panicked high-pitched voice from behind the wooden cubicle door.

"Hermione, we know Millicent Bulstrode's ugly, no one's going to know it's you." Harry and Ron chuckled.

"No – really – I don't think I'll come. You two hurry up, you're wasting time." They murmured between themselves for a moment then Harry called through the door;

"Hermione, are you OK?"

"Fine – I'm fine… Go on –"

"We'll meet back here, all right?" Hermione breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the bathroom door open then close and Harry and Ron's murmuring slowly get quieter and then disappear completely from hearing range. She slumped down on the toilet sea and started to cry; she was a cat for God's sakes! After she had calmed down a little she picked up _Moste Potente Potions_ and tried to find a part where it said what would happen if you transformed into an animal but the only thing it said was that it could take up to a month for you to go back to your usual appearance. She sighed and tried to ignore Myrtle's constant teasing by reading the horrible book and waiting for Harry and Ron.

"Hermione come out, we've got loads to tell you!" Harry shouted to Hermione as he ran into the girls' bathroom.

"Go away!" She squeaked.

What's the matter," said Ron, "You should be back to normal by now, we are…"

"Ooohhhh… Wait till you see, it's _awful_." Moaning Myrtle said gleefully as she swept through the door, looking almost scarily cheerful. Hermione gave up and came out, robes covering her face and her new ears.

"What's up, have you still got Millicent's nose or something?" Hermione slowly let her robes fall and Ron backed all the way into the sink.

"It was a c-cat hair! M-Millicent Bulstrode m-must have a cat! And the P-Potion isn't supposed to be used for animal transformations!"

"Uh oh," Ron said, not bothering to think of Hermione's feelings as per usual.

"You'll be teased something _dreadful_." Myrtle but in happily.

"It's OK, Hermione; we'll take you up to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions…" Harry quickly but in before either Ron or Myrtle could say anything else to make Hermione feel worse. It took almost an hour to persuade her out of the bathroom and Myrtle couldn't help but wave them off with the comment;

"Wait till everyone finds out you've got a _tail_."

Once Hermione in the Hospital Wing Harry and Ron cleared off sharpish after being told to get to bed by Madam Pomfrey, but she gave them a note all the same. Hermione sighed as she got changed and settled down to sleep; there wasn't anything that Madam Pomfrey could do, she was just going to have to wait it out.

"Miss Granger's in the Hospital Wing." Dumbledore commented very off handily at breakfast the morning after.

"What?" Minerva exploded. "Why did no one tell me?"

"Because she doesn't wish for anyone to know. Don't worry it was a simple accident with Polyjuice Potion and a cat hair." He said as he carried on drinking his tea.

"You know just as well as I do that accidents with Polyjuice Potion are rarely that simple."

"It was in this instance. Hermione just has ears, tail and cat her on her face. It will wear off in a couple of weeks and she'll be right as rain. Don't worry about her; it was a well brewed potion."

"She brewed it?"

"Yes."

"How on earth did she manage to brew that? They're deathly complex, and most fifth years can't brew it. Plus, it's breaking about fifty school rules."

"Miss Granger is no stranger to breaking school rules." Albus reminded her.

"I'll go visit her in a few days, once the fur has come off her face; I know that she'll be the most embarrassed about that."

"Don't be startled by her eyes, they're a bright yellow, like an actual cats." Minerva nodded and they settled back into eating in silence.

After a few days most of the fur around the main part of her face was gone, but she still had very prominent ears and tail, so Minerva decided to go see how she was feeling, and brang a few of her very own rare Transfiguration texts with her, to keep Miss Granger company. Hermione's face instantly brightened when she noticed her Professor; she had heard footsteps and assumed that it was Harry or Ron seeing as it was after lessons had finished but was pleasantly surprised.

"Professor! And to what do I owe this pleasure?" Minerva had come to a stop next to Hermione's bed by this time and quickly summoned a chair so she could sit down then she placed the texts on Hermione's wheelie table that she was doing work from her lesson on.

"I just wanted to see how you were since your unfortunate accident with the Polyjuice Potion. How on earth did it happen and why were you messing with Polyjuice Potion?" Minerva questioned, but she didn't sound angry.

"We wanted to find out if Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin, well no, Harry did, so we went ahead and brewed it then I thought that I had Millicent's hair off her robes but it turns out that she has a cat." Hermione sighed. "It was just bad luck, the plan worked perfectly otherwise."

"I heard that you brewed a very good potion."

"It wasn't going to win any medals but it worked and that's all that I wanted." Hermione shrugged.

"I bet it was better than you're saying."

"Maybe, but there are people that could have done much better. Potions is not my real talent, I just study harder and longer at it."

"Where did you get the ingredients, they are mostly restricted." Minerva's legendary eyebrow raised, but she was asking more out of curiosity than anything else.

"I'm afraid that that information is even more restricted than the ingredients are." Minerva just chuckled and started to stand up.

"Those are transfiguration texts, and I know that I don't have to tell you to look after them." Minerva said, nodding at the two books on the table. Hermione grinned wide and looked up her favourite Professor.

"Every copy of a book is like part of someone's soul, not in a bad way, just that no matter how many books someone has written they still slaved over it day by day." Minerva gave her a rare smile, surprised again at how perceptive the girl was. She nodded her head and swept out the room. Although she had to restrain a chuckle when she heard Hermione's gasp as she read the titles; the books were very rare, only five copies had ever been published of each, and they were well known throughout the Transfiguration community, so of course Hermione had heard of them.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

_**After Easter.**_

Hermione's first thought was; oh my wizard God, a basilisk, having free roam throughout the school; it was unthinkable! She bumped into Penelope Clearwater on the way out of the library and hurriedly told her to look around corners with a mirror first; it wasn't safe for Muggleborns anymore. She followed her own directions, and she couldn't help but be petrified when she saw two poisonous yellow eyes looking straight into her own through the mirror. She slumped to the floor and knew no more.

"Minerva…" Albus started warily.

"Hmmm?" She replied distractedly while still trying to mark some papers before the match.

"Hermione's been petrified." He said quickly and Minerva's head snapped up.

"No… When?"

"Last night. She was found near the library this morning, Penelope Clearwater was with her, they were looking around corners with mirrors, Hermione must have worked out that it was a basilisk." Minerva looked stricken, like someone had just told her that someone had died, or like she was about to be killed herself. She instantly jumped up and was already at the door when Albus said quietly;

"There's nothing you can do." She looked at the floor and Albus couldn't help but notice how upset she was.

"I know. How long is she going to be petrified for Albus?"

"Until the end of the year probably, we're waiting for the Mandrakes to mature." Minerva sighed.

"There goes out agreement." Albus looked confused. "That she wouldn't end up in the Hospital Wing at the end of this year. I just hope it doesn't become a yearly thing." He looked concerned.

"Why do you care so much?" He asked softly.

"She reminds me so much of me at the age, all that time ago, and I wished at the time that there was someone that was there to help me, and there wasn't for me so I want to be there for Hermione." He nodded serenely and she quickly left the room, going straight to the Hospital Wing where she flung herself down in the chair next to Hermione's bed, knowing that it was entirely unprofessional to be here when there was absolutely no chance that Hermione was going to wake up, but she couldn't help herself. When Harry and Ron arrived she tried to seem as Professor – like as possible, even though it was obvious that she was upset over it. They didn't stay for long, just long enough to pull a piece of paper out of Hermione's clenched fist and then excitedly disappear.

Over the next few weeks Minerva spent a lot of time hanging around in the Hospital Wing, longer than anyone else even. And she made sure to be there when Hermione was woken up with the Mandrake potion, and she couldn't stop the sigh of relief when she saw Hermione's eyes open.

Slowly Hermione felt herself return to her senses, it was a weird feeling, even worse than waking up from a very, very deep sleep.

"Ahhh… cramp!" She cried and opened her eyes, looking straight into the relieved face of Minerva McGonagall who was chuckling away at Hermione's discomfort, who was wriggling away, trying to get feeling back into all her joints. Minerva was still chuckling at her and she shot her esteemed Professor a glare.

"I bet you've never been petrified before, so you've never got all the feeling back into your joints spontaneously to then be in loads of pain. So stop laughing at me." Poppy came over and gave her a potion, which got rid of all the cramp, even if it did taste awful.

"Thanks." She said gratefully and then she looked to the left at Minerva, who still looked quite amused, but mostly at the way that Hermione had dared to tell her off, and she didn't look like she was going to rescind it at anytime soon either. The brunette glanced around the room and sighed.

"Judging by the fact that me and Penelope are the last ones in here, then Harry did the heroics and got rid of the Chamber."

"He didn't get rid of the Chamber, just killed the beast within." Hermione glanced at her right hand.

"And by the looks of it they found the note that I wrote them about the Basilisk then."

"Oh, so that's what they came and wrestled out of your palm then?"

"Yeah, I was just rushing to tell them when the Basilisk got me." Minerva had to laugh at the use of 'got me'.

"It got you? I like your expression." Minerva said through suppressed chuckles and Hermione just laughed.

"Yes, it 'got me'. You really need to brush up on your slang." Hermione jokingly scolded.

"It seems so." Minerva stood up. "I'll be off then, seeing as you're awake, and I'll go find Potter and Weasley."

"You still call them by their surnames and yet you often call me Hermione? It doesn't make much sense to me." Hermione asked quietly.

"You remind me of me when I was your age, and I remember how I felt, and I reckon that that's how you feel now." She replied quietly and gently squeezed Hermione's wrist, then left the room.

_**A/N: This chapter was hard at the beginning, but now I can't believe how long it is! Longest chapter yet! Hope you guys liked, and remember to review! :D**_


	6. Chapter 6: The Time Turner

_**A/N: I don't know why, but usually I would normally write in short bursts but that's just not working out recently, so I tend to have a big splurge where I just write pretty much the whole chapter in one; that's why the time between updates is getting bigger. I had a day off; the pitiful amount of snow, stupid coldness and the fact that I was snotting everywhere meant that Mum let me stay home.**_

_**STRAWS FOR THE WIN! :D**_

**Chapter Six: The Time Turner**

Hermione stepped into Minerva's office not feeling nervous at all; she knew that it was about the fact that she had picked every single choice there was, even though there wasn't enough space on her timetable. Minerva indicated that she should sit down and then gave her a small smile.

"I assume that I am here about my timetable?" She asked and Minerva nodded. "I know that I've picked far too many subjects and –" She started and then stopped when Minerva raised a hand to silence her.

"Dumbledore and I over the summer applied to the Ministry for you to get a Time Turner. It took us a while of going to talk to Cornelius, and showing them your grades and various things, but I managed to get a hold of one." She smiled and held it up while Hermione stared her in shock; she knew that this meant that Minerva and Dumbledore really trusted her, and believed that she could do well.

"I… don't know what to say." She grinned and looked up from her hands to Minerva. "Thank you, so much." She said sincerely and gingerly took the chain from Minerva's hand, studying the small hourglass attached to the fine gold chain.

"You're going to be very busy, and you cannot tell anyone; not even Potter and Weasley." Hermione looked up and her face looked stricken; how on Earth could she possibly lie to her friends?

"But… Professor…"

"I know." She said sympathetically and rested her hand upon Hermione's, which was resting on the desk. "It'll be hard, it was when I had one." At this Hermione brightened up.

"You had one?"

"Yes, back in the Neolithic ages." She chuckled. "I was the last one to keep it for a whole year, but I gave it up after a year of not sleeping and being so busy that I almost never saw my friends." She gave the brunette a stern look."No changing the subject Miss Granger. You really, really can't tell Harry and Ron." She looked a little conflicted.

"But… Won't they ask why I'm studying for a subject that I'm not even taking? And then I'm going to lie, and no one can get a glimpse of my timetable." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair like she did when she was frustrated. Minerva cast her a sympathetic look.

"Then you're just going to have to make something up or tell them that they're being ridiculous." Hermione chuckled.

"I suppose I am…. Who else has had one?" She questioned, still looking at the Time Turner.

"Well, there was me, Albus, Tom Riddle had one…"

"Tom Riddle as in You-Know-Who?"

"Yes, he was an extraordinarily powerful wizard, he still is, but he's also evil. Then I tried to get Lily Evans to take one…" She continued thoughtfully.

"As in Harry's Mum?" Hermione interrupted again.

"Yes, she only lasted a few weeks though until she got fed up with the strain she was putting on herself and then she narrowed her options down. There were a couple of other people as well, but no one actually lasted a year since I had one."

"How long ago was that?"

"Well, it was Third Year, and I'm eighty-two now so sixty-eight years." Hermione looked stunned.

"But surely there have been quite a lot of powerful witches and wizards to pass through here since then?"

"There have, but none of them necessarily had the drive to get one. Professor Lupin; the new DADA teacher, could have had one but he wished to stick with his friends, and he did not have the drive necessary regardless." Hermione looked shocked.

"But… You think that I have that kind of drive?"

"Oh yes, it's obvious in the way that you study and read incessantly." Minerva smiled. "I think that you could potentially last to do your OWLs, and then you would have the most OWLs in the history of Hogwarts." Hermione's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Of course, I wouldn't have said it otherwise." She lightly teased.

"Anyway, it's late, you need to go to bed, I need to go to bed and even though tomorrow will be a Saturday we still need to get a good night's sleep." Hermione grinned and quickly tucked the Time Turner beneath her robes and stood up, heading straight to the door. Just as she opened it she glanced back.

"Goodnight Professor."

"Goodnight Hermione." The stern witch replied and gave her a wide smile which Hermione caught just before she turned and opened the door, then she stepped out into the wide torch lit corridor and headed off back up to Gryffindor Tower.

Hermione got dressed, got into bed and stared up at her ceiling musing on her conversation with her favourite Professor, and strangely, she found herself replaying the moments where Minerva had laughed and when she had smiled tenderly at her at the end. She shook herself out of her odd thoughts and frowned in the darkness; she couldn't think like this! The only times that people had acted or thought this way was when they were thinking about someone in a completely inappropriate way when it was focused towards her Transfiguration Professor! She completely did not have a crush on her; there was no way, she respected her way too much! With those disturbing thoughts she fell into a light but strangely dreamless sleep.

_**Mid – October**_

To the library! Hermione thought in her head and then smiled slightly as she walked through the thick oak doors and found the table in the back left corner that no one but her ever used. She was supposed to be studying when she was thinking and worrying about how Harry was taking the business with Sirius Black and the fact that he was out to get him. She shook the thoughts out her head and continued to study. Much later the bushy haired brunette felt someone sit down in the seat opposite her and straight away assumed it was either Harry or Ron wanting help with their homework.

"The Transfiguration essay for this week is on top, I knew that one of you would come looking for it so I brang it with me." She hadn't even looked up from Snape's surprise Potions essay. "Please don't copy it completely, and at least try to take in what it is telling you; all the teachers probably already think that I write your essays for you." She sighed and ran a hand through her bushy mane while she continued to scribble furiously; outlining a third point even though she knew that Snape wouldn't be happy that she had gone over the required length. There was a rustle of parchment as the person sat opposite her picked up the essay and a short silence while they read it.

"It's a very good essay. And you're right, we all do think that you write their essays for them; especially Ronald's." As soon as Hermione recognised the Scottish lilt to the voice coming from the other side of the table her head snapped up to meet the emerald green eyes of her Transfiguration teacher and a bright pink blush made its way across her cheeks.

"Ermm… Hello Professor." She stammered and set her quill down on her ink blotter. "I never normally just let them look at mine and take the points from it. Usually I would talk to them in the particular subject and tutor them about what the essay was about and then make them write their own. Ron still doesn't understand why." She rolled her eyes with a tiny smile; the one that always seemed to crop up while in Minerva's presence. "I'm just so busy." She sighed and picked her quill up again and wrote the conclusion to the Potions essay that she had been working on and set it aside.

"I heard from the other teachers that you've got all of the homework assignments that they've planned for the rest of the year."

"Yeah, it's so that I can work through them at a steady pace, as opposed to panicking when I get a lot all in one week."

"How far into the year have you done?"

"Mid – December, I need to get going really." Minerva couldn't help it; she laughed.

"You still think that you should be studying faster when your two months ahead of yourself? What are you going to do once you've run out of homework?"

"Read and revise. There's no rest for me." She shrugged.

"How far are you into the year on Transfiguration." She blushed, she was much further in that subject than anything else.

"February. It's my favourite subject so I always resort to it when Potions is getting me down. I could argue even with myself about Transfiguration! I bet you've noticed that in my essays." She chuckled.

"Most of the time I thank god when it gets to yours because you can read, write and produce proper key points." Hermione blushed again then Minerva stood up. "Come on, I actually came to get you because dinner starts in five minutes." She said sternly. "You're not missing it again."

"But I've still got so much studying to do!" Hermione moaned but stood up all the same and cast a protective bubble around the table that she had been working at. They headed off and when they got to the Great Hall Minerva smiled at her protégé and went up to the Staff Table where Albus warmly greeted her while Hermione sat down in between her friends at the Gryffindor Table.

_**A/N: Listening to the John Williams PS Soundtrack while watching someone else play the Years 1-4 Lego game is the weirdest feeling ever, because it plays a lot of it on there, but you're not listening to the one that matches up! It confused me anyway. :D**_


	7. Chapter 7: Innocent Lives

_**A/N: Sorry this is so late! It's been like two weeks or something! I do love you guys, but I just, was busy, and ill and everything and it was not cool, trust me. :/**_

_**This one is pretty non – Canon. The same things still happen and that, just Minerva is around in the Hospital Wing instead, even though she's not in the book. There's a lot of just shouting at each other so I kind of skipped a lot of it out, and this bit is very much Min's POV, but still in Third Person. **_

**Chapter 7: Innocent Lives**

"Hermione is in the Hospital Wing again." Albus said grimly as he finished reading the note that Severus' black owl had just dropped off on his desk before it flew off back into the night. Minerva groaned but still looked panicked.

"Really? What happened?" She asked quickly as she stood up and started to move towards the door.

"The note doesn't say much, just that he found all three of them on the shore of the Black Lake, almost dead according to him. Apparently she almost got kissed by a Dementor." Minerva shuddered and raced out of the office, turning into her Animagus form on the way.

Once she got down to the Hospital Wing she changed back and glared at the Minister and Snape, they were discussing about how amazing Snape was and how he should get an Order of Merlin. She suppressed a snort; he acted like he wanted Harry and Hermione dead half the time and now he was acting like he jumped to their rescue in some sort of attempt at heroism, as if! She stormed into the Hospital Wing to find Hermione stood up looking alarmed, Harry laying on his bed choking on chocolate, Poppy looking distraught and Snape still looked very smug, even though the two students were shouting at him. Albus was hot on her heels and was soon stood behind her. She hurried over to Hermione's bedside and tried to get her to sit back down.

"Hermione… You're exhausted and injured, sit back down." She urged, pulling her over by the wrist and sitting her down. Dumbledore ushered everyone else out of the room and then turned to Hermione while they both tried to speak at him at once, trying desperately hard to make him believe them, which they did.

"What we need is more time." Dumbledore said slowly, looking at Hermione pointedly.

"But-" She began and then her eyes widened in realisation. "OH!"

"Now, pay attention. Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, both of you. _You must not be seen._ Miss Granger, you know the law – you know what is at stake… _you – must – not – be – seen."_ Harry looked confused as he watched Dumbledore turn on his heel and stride towards the door, looking back when he got there.

"I am going to lock you in. It is –" He looked down at his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck." Minerva watched as he left the room and she heard the lock turn; it was almost as if he had forgotten that she was in here. Hermione was fumbling with her robes until she pulled out the Time Turner, both her and Minerva were ignoring Harry's confused mumbling.

"I'm sorry Professor." Hermione said quietly and then they disappeared, just as a different and more ragged Harry and Hermione strode into the Hospital Wing, Hermione looked contrite already, and Minerva knew why.

"Hermione… its okay, what you did tonight was totally acceptable, even if it did end with you being in the Hospital Wing at end of the year." Minerva shot her a small smile. "I'm not going to take the Time Turner unless you want me to."

"Well… I don't. I had a massive work load, but even because of that I think that maybe this is good. Maybe… I'll just see how I did when the results come back, and then decide from there."

"I wouldn't normally tell anyone this but..." Minerva started in a stage whisper, "you got an O in Transfiguration and Charms. Professor Flitwick was raving about how well you did in your tests in the Staff Room last week." Hermione grinned.

"Somehow, I have a good feeling about this year." She said and settled back into bed as Minerva sat in the chair that was next to it.

_**A/N: I know, this chapter sucks and it's the shortest I think but I just wanted to get it done and hopefully that's all my writer's block out the way. :D Plus, the end of this chapter is soooo smelly! :P**_


	8. Chapter 8: The Yule Ball

_**A/N: The dress soooo was periwinkle blue! So that's how I've written it. :D**_

_**Wow, what in JK Rowling's name was I thinking when I wrote Chapter 8 of the original? That would never happen! Although, the thought of those two dancing is just too appealing; so that might still happen. :D This is really, really different from the other one, so I hope you guys like it anyway. Although, to put the dancing in I have made it surprisingly more similar than I had originally planned. **___

_**Sorry for the wait dudes. I feel bad, it's been like a month between updates again. But, I shall endeavour to be faster with the next. No promises though. :/**_

**Chapter 8: The Yule Ball**

The nervous brunette loitered around the corner, just out of sight, and took a deep breath. This was it, the moment when she would prove to everyone that she was more than people thought; she didn't just hide behind books all the time, and that she was pretty. She had always thought that it didn't matter what you looks didn't matter. But she was obviously wrong, and everyone judged on what a person looked like. She cautiously edged around the stone wall, walking hesitatingly slow, although she was steady on her small heels, down the marble steps. She searched the faces in the crowd in front of her, and had to stifle a laugh at the look on Malfoy's face; first he looked in awe and then he looked like he was going to slap himself. She couldn't help but find her eyes were drawn to the attractive Scottish elder witch who had been talking to Harry just a moment earlier, and who's motions of ushering students into the hall, and she almost smirked at the impressed but shocked look on her favourite Professor's face. She felt a huge grin spread across her face and she couldn't do anything to stop it. Harry and Parvati were looking at her; Harry had finally torn his gaze away from Cho and he looked just as shocked as everyone else. She unconsciously smoothed down her periwinkle blue dress and linking arms with Krum, who was lined up ready for them to take their first dance.

"Is that Hermione Granger with Viktor Krum?" She heard Padma ask, shocked.

"No, no it can't be." She heard Ron refuse hoarsely, and her wide grin turned into a little more of a smirk.

Halfway through the night she went and stopped off at a supposedly empty table to take her shoes off and rub her aching feet. Then from the corner of the supposedly empty table a familiar Scottish brogue floated over to her.

"I had that problem whenever I went to a ball; high-heeled shoes should be banned." Hermione looked over at her and grinned; the same grin that always seemed to pop up in her favourite Professors presence.

"They should. I mean, whose smart idea was this anyway? A dance so that a lot of kids could get drunk on spiked punch and most of the girls will end up crying by the end of the night because most boys are insensitive pigs." The brunette rolled her eyes at the pure stupidity of the whole situation.

"Well, I have to say that I agree with you, but it's all part of tradition, you know how Albus likes to keep tradition about, so it was just easier to let him do it." Hermione chuckled and then sighed.

"I only came with Viktor because he asked me. I wouldn't have gone otherwise really, but I thought that it was pretty flattering that a seventeen year-old international Quidditch player would ask me to the ball, even with so many Veelas prancing about."

"You are a lot more beautiful then you will ever accept yourself to be Hermione." Minerva said before she could sensor the words that were coming out of her mouth, and her eyes widened in surprise at the same time that Hermione's did. There was a moment of awkward silence until Minerva stood up and held her hand out for Hermione to take.

"Would you like to dance?" Hermione stood up, ignoring her shoes as her dress was too long without them on anyway, so no one would see her feet, and took her hand, even though as she did so a frown came across her features.

"Won't this raise some eyebrows?" She asked as they walked to the floor.

"We won't be the only ones; Miss Weasley is dancing with Madam Hooch and Longbottom is dancing with Professor Sprout. Not to mention that Mr Potter is dancing with Albus." Minerva replied with a smile as she led them into the dance, twirling and twisting around the dance floor, in a dizzying pattern which others could only watch; they were deathly fast and incredibly skilled. When the song was finished both were breathing fast and looked around to notice that everyone was staring at them. Hermione smiled sheepishly and a pink blush graced her cheeks. Minerva smiled at the younger witch.

"Punch?" She suggested and Hermione nodded vigorously; wanting to get away from the crowd that had formed as soon as possible. Once they were at the table and Minerva had handed her a cup she eyed her from over the top of hers.

"You are quite the dancer Miss Granger." Hermione's light blush turned into a darker shade of pink. "It's been a long time since I have found someone who can match me in ability, apart from Albus that is."

"Well, I did teach Viktor. It was either that or he would sit around and watch me study; it was quite creepy actually. But you're much better than me."

"Oh no, I wouldn't say that. He used to watch you study?"

"Yes, still does." Hermione sighed. "It's a bit disconcerting; I have to study in the Common Room now because wherever he is there's a mob of giggling girls. By the way, don't drink much of the punch; it's spiked."

"With what?" Minerva was almost positive that there wasn't Firewhiskey or anything of the sort in it.

"Muggle alcohol. Probably Vodka; its colour and odourless."

"How do you know so much about Muggle alcohol?"

"I read remember." Hermione said cheekily. "And I saw someone tip a whole bottle of the stuff in the punch bowl."

"Who?"

"Not telling, I would much prefer to see the results tomorrow; everyone is going to be so hungover!" She said gleefully. Minerva just raised an eyebrow.

"What? It's going to be so funny; Harry and Ron have just been sat around drinking punch all evening, and are too miserable to realise that they're smashed." Hermione had a huge gleeful grin on her face and Minerva had to laugh at her expression.

"Would you like to come for tea tomorrow? We can laugh at all the people that are very hungover?" Hermione chuckled and nodded.

"Sure. See you tomorrow Professor."

"Sleep well Hermione."

Even after the episode with Harry and Ron Hermione went to sleep with a smile on her face, dancing with Minerva playing through her mind again and again. She was unsure why, but whenever this happened in books the person that they were thinking about they usually ended up falling in love with. Which just could not happen! Minerva was her professor and she respected her far too much. No, not Minerva! She quickly reprimanded herself, but the thoughts and smile lingered still.


	9. Chapter 9: Into The Lake

_A/N: Okay, so just the same as I did with the last chapter, I've gone, What the hell? As soon as I read Chapters nine and ten of the original. So I'm not going to write them, as they suck. *shrug* Sorry guys to those who did like those two, I don't know why though, they were awful. :P_

**Chapter 9: Into The Lake**

"There must be something." She muttered, intently speed-reading an old book called _Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charms_, with her nose about an inch away from the page. "They'd never have set a task that was undoable." She insisted.

"They have," Ron said, already giving up. "Harry, just go down to the lake tomorrow, right, stick your head in, yell at the merpeople to give back whatever they've nicked and see if they chuck it out. Best you can do mate."

"There's a way of doing it!" Hermione said crossly. "There just has to be!" She looked insulted at the idea that the library had let them down; it never had before.

"I know what I should have done; I should've learnt to be an Animagus like Sirius."

"Yeah, then you could've into a goldfish any time you wanted!" Ron exclaimed to the back of Harry's head, who was resting it, face down, on whatever book he had been studying.

"It takes years to become an Animagus, and then you have to register yourself and everything," Hermione said, not even looking up from the book she had moved on to. "Professor McGonagall told us; remember… you've got to register yourself with the Improper Use of Magic Office… What Animagus you become, and your markings, so you can't abuse it…" She barely seemed aware of what she was saying.

"Hermione, I was joking. I know I haven't got a chance of turning into a frog by tomorrow morning."

"Oh, this is no use." Hermione snapped and closed _Weird Wizarding Dilemmas_ with a bit more force than was strictly necessary. "Who on earth wants to make their nose hair turn into ringlets?"

"I wouldn't mind, be a talking point wouldn't it?" Fred's voice came from where he and George had materialised from behind some bookcases.

"What're you two doing here?" Ron questioned, obviously shocked; he hadn't realised that they even knew where the library was!

"Looking for you, McG wants you, Ron. And you, Hermione."

"Why?" Hermione asked, distinctly surprised.

"Dunno… She was looking a bit grim, though."

"We're supposed to take you down to her office." They explained, looking a little grim themselves. Both Ron and Hermione looked at Harry, all three of them feeling anxious; was Minerva going to tell them off for helping Harry and he was supposed to be studying for the task on his own?

"We'll meet you back in the common room," Hermione said as her and Ron got up to go with Fred and George. "Bring as many of these books as you can, OK?"

"Right." Harry agreed, looking uncertain. The quartet wandered what they had been called for; Hermione was sure that helping Harry wasn't against the rules, she had checked every book that she could think of and there hadn't been a rule against it. She told the other three this several times, as much to reassure herself as to reassure them. By the time they had got to Minerva's office Hermione's palms were clammy and she was trembling. Fred and George opened the door and then backed away and hurried off when Minerva told them that they were no longer needed. Both Gryffindors were surprised to see Cho and Gabrielle in there already and a thought popped up in the back of her mind; maybe they had been helping the other champions? The elder witch gestured for the two nervous Fourth Years to take a seat.

"Now, I'm sure that all of you know what the clue in the golden egg is?" All of them nodded, "you four are to be what the champions recover." Hermione looked confused as she glanced around the room trying to find who Viktor's 'precious item' was, then she realised that it was supposed to be her.

"Professor, I can be Viktor's; we're hardly close."

"You're the person closest to him here at Hogwarts, so there's not much that you can do. Professor Dumbledore should be here shortly to cast the spell that will render you unconscious and safe until your head breaks the water." The door opened and the afore mentioned man strode in, dressed flamboyantly in a pastel pink.

"Sir, are you sure this is completely safe?" Hermione was apprehensive, she was a strong swimmer, but the idea of being unconscious at the bottom of the Black Lake did not appeal to her.

"You'll be perfectly safe Miss Granger." Hermione looked at Minerva for support and notices the worry in her eyes, bur she covered it up and gave her a small, strained smile.

"Now then, I'm going to cast the charm. It will be disorientating when you wake up, but don't worry about that now."

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

Brown eyes fluttered open as bushy hair broke the surface. She quickly realised that she was in Viktor's arms, who was currently sporting a shark head, and that she was sopping wet. Then everything registered and she realised that she was in the middle of the Black Lake. Wriggling out of Viktor's arms, she struck out to where she saw practically the whole school was sat in stands waiting for something to happen. People started to notice Hermione and then the shark head following her and started to cheer. The brunette looked back to see that Viktor was keeping pace even though Hermione knew that she was very fast; she had won quite a few raced when she was younger, and she guessed that he was only uncomfortable and clumsy on solid ground. When they got closer to the back she noticed that Minerva was waiting with a towel and she immediately changed her course so that she was going towards her. The lake started to get shallower until Hermione could stand, but she swam until she absolutely had to stand up and wade the last bit. The brunette gratefully accepted the towel and her wand from Minerva, quickly casting warming and drying charms but wrapping the towel around herself all the same.

_**A/N: I'm sorry, it's been almost another month again, which is very rubbish of me. I actually wrote this ages ago, I just never typed it up.**_


	10. Chapter 10: Go Away, Come Back

_**A/N: Sorry that there's been such huge gaps between updates, and thanks to everyone that has stuck with this, even if you haven't reviewed.**_

_**By the way, my space bar is a bit broken, so I'm sorry if there are any missing spaces. :/**_

**Chapter 10: Go Away, Come Back**

Minerva felt a sense of dismay that this was the last day of the year, that all her students would be leaving and she would end up with just Albus for company. She was surprised at how upset she felt, but at the back of her mind she knew why that was, she just wasn't prepared to admit it, not even to herself. Hermione felt similar feelings of despair; and she couldn't quite put a finger on why, until she happened to be wandering the halls the morning before the train left, pondering the sinking feeling in her stomach. It was very early in the morning, about half seven, and she wasn't expecting anyone to be awake, so she walked, slab bang into someone clothed all in green. She rocked back on her heels and was about to fall when strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist and she was pulled into the heavy fabric clothing the tall woman. Both of them stayed there for a moment until Minerva suddenly realised that was holding a student and she quickly let them go, stepping away from them at the same time. She finally got a look at the student whom she had bumped into and realised that it was one Hermione Granger, who was presently looking at her feet, her cheeks a rosy red.

"Ah, Miss Granger," Minerva started formally and Hermione looked up, eyebrow cocked at the fact that Minerva had called her Miss Granger for the first time in almost a year, then she realised that it was because Minerva was trying to put space back between them after their little crash.

"Hello Professor." She said with a small smile.

"What are you doing wandering the corridors so early?" She asked interestedly, looking slightly concerned as well.

"Oh, I just…. I feel weird." Hermione said, frowning in confusion. "Usually I feel upset to go, but this year it just… It feels a hundred times worse." Minerva sighed, this sounded like boy trouble.

"Is there a…." She searched for a way to phrase it, "special someone that you don't want to leave?" Hermione just gave her a shocked look and then started to laugh.

"Special, someone." She managed to wheeze through her laughter. Minerva just gave her a confused look.

"Why is that so funny?" Hermione breathed deeply in and out to stop laughing and then rose from her bent over position, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Well, because no one would ever want to go out with me, and even if they did, I'm probably more attracted to the library than I am to them." Minerva chuckled.

"I was like that too, back in the Neolithic ages." Hermione suddenly realised that the feeling in the pit of her stomach was gone, and that she felt a million times better, and then she felt another shot of realisation, like a lightbulb going off above her head, she felt better when she was near Minerva, and then at the same time she thought; I've got to get away, I can't think here. She sent her favourite professor a weak smile and then began to backpedal slowly.

"I need to check my trunk; if I've forgotten something Mum will kill me." Minerva smiled.

"You've been picking up speech habits from Mr Weasley." Hermione laughed and then raced off in the other direction, both witches pondering the same thing; what was that sense of loss as Hermione had left?

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

The brunette sighed, again, and looked out the window, not being able to focus on her book for once as she watched lush green hills rush past. She had already wandered up and down, managed to give Crabbe and Goyle a detention for punching a Second Year, and saved a Fourth Year from a pair of robes that had been spelled to strangle him. According to the Fourth Year Hufflepuff, it was the sort of thing that his brothers would do.

"Minerva, making a hole in your floor won't make her arrive any sooner." Minerva's head whirled round and she came to a halt in the middle of her office, eyes narrowing.

"What are you talking about? It's always like this, the pensive quiet before the storm of students."

"I've never seen you this agitated." He replied.

"I'm not agitated." She said distractedly and started to pace again.

"See what I mean? You're distracted again, and pacing, again." He replied softly. "Admit it, you're waiting for her.

"I don't know what on earth you're talking about Albus." She replied sharply and he just rolled his eyes.

"We both know fine well what I'm talking about. Miss Granger of course." Minerva gave him a shocked look.

"What are you implying?" She asked, almost raising her voice, losing her cool completely, simply because she knew it was true.

"Oh, Minerva," Albus started sadly, "you know what. You have feelings for Miss Granger, feelings that you can't comprehend, simply because they go against everything you have ever been."

"Albus…" Minerva sighed.

"I know dear." He patted her arm sympathetically. "Tea?" Minerva nodded and sat down behind her desk.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

The brunette hurtled out of the train and threw herself into the first carriage, which was full up with an excited bunch of Second Years rather quickly. The carriage trundled up to the school and Hermione was out the carriage, and in through the doors before anyone could say anything else. She noticed where Minerva was stood at the top of the steps and quickly joined her there as she waited for the First Years to be brought in, and also to make sure that no one was too happy and started shoving the others around. Minerva was struggling not to let a huge grin come across her face at the fact that Hermione had straight away come to see her.

"Hello, Miss Granger, did you have a good summer?" Hermione laughed.

"Pfft, no. I was stuck in that stuffy house all summer, and then Harry comes and has a go at all of us because we've been bored out of our brains longer than him!" Minerva turned to look at her with a concerned expression on her face.

"Was it really that bad?"

"Yeah. Harry spent the whole time he was there moping. I mean, his life sucks, sure, but must he act like a twelve year old all the time?" She exclaimed and Minerva laughed.

"Hermione, that's very out of character of you." Hermione sighed and her shoulders dropped.

"I know, but, it just gets to me. He acts like me and Ron aren't there for him even though we have been since the beginning of all this." All the students had gone into the Great Hall by then and Minerva shot the doors a look.

"You need to go, explain more to me at tea around four o'clock tomorrow?" Hermione nodded and then rushed down the steps to join Harry and Ron at the Gryffindor table.

_**A/N: I wrote almost all of this in one go in about two hours on and off, so it probably sucks. But at least it wasn't a whole month until I updated this time! :D**_


	11. Chapter 11: Carrers Advice

**Chapter 11: Career's Advice**

_**A/N: So what I wrote for this chapter in the last one was pretty extreme, like too extreme. I have no idea how this chapter is going to turn out this time…. :/**_

Career's Advice. Hermione was nervous, because she had no idea what she wanted to be. Furthering SPEW had come to mind, but apart from that she was pretty much unsure. Being a Healer sounded like a good, safe option, but she also wasn't sure if she wanted to work with blood and injuries all day, she had a feeling that she was going to see enough of that in this war. Research she thought; she loved to learn new things and this was the perfect chance. But, she still wasn't sure about this… and she had considered teaching, which seemed to appeal to her more, and she had considered that maybe it was because she never wanted to leave Hogwarts, as it had been her first home in the Wizarding World. But then thinking back, she really loved the triumphant look on her young mentee's faces after she had guided them through learning how to cast some new spell or jinx. And it was that which usually got her through the task of teaching them it, on teaching them how to grasp why a certain ingredient would cause the whole potion to blow up, or on the theory behind a charm. It was probably her fault that the majority of the lower years weren't currently failing Potions. Of course Snape would claim that it was due to his brilliant teaching, but she and the younger students that she had tutored knew differently. She could just imagine the look on his face if he found out that she had been helping all of the ones in his class that he usually terrorised, and couldn't fight a smirk. Snape didn't scare her anymore; she knew that there was worse out there these days and that she couldn't be scared of just him, even though it was fairly obvious that he was a double agent. The clock changed to five to five and she stood up; it was time for her meeting.

"Hello Professor." She said with a smile as she was let into the office, but didn't register the pink woman's presence at all. The young witch sat in the hard-backed chair in front of her favourite Professor's desk and didn't bother to hide her smile as her back was to the toad.

"So Miss Granger, we both know why you're here."

"I have no idea what I want to do." She said bluntly.

"Well, with the grades that you're presently getting, and the subjects that you're taking you can become almost anything you like." There was a cough from behind them and Hermione knew almost instantly what Umbridge was going to say, as she had said the same to Harry, and just like she had with Harry, she tried extra hard to ignore the repulsive woman. "Have you thought about going into research? I know that you like to study, as you seem to spend more time in the library than anywhere else." She said with a small smile while Umbridge scribbled furiously on her clipboard and coughed a few times. Minerva finally sighed and turned to her.

"Yes Dolores?"

"Well, by the sound of it you haven't taken into account the grades that I gave her for this year in Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"I also took into account the grades that she has got all throughout her years at Hogwarts, and as she has not got anything less than an Exceeds Expectations in that subject, I have no doubt that she will get something along those lines in her OWLs at the end of this year."

"She's hardly had a stable education in this subject."

"I know Dolores, but the same with Mr Potter, she shall become whatever she wishes to be, and if necessary, I shall tutor her myself. Now, Miss Granger, is there anything that you have considered?"

"I had looked at furthering SPEW, or maybe being a Healer, but with the impending war," her voice rose over a few little coughs omitting from behind her, "I think that I will have seen enough blood for the rest of my life."

"Hmm… Yes, I see your point. Yes Dolores?"

"What impending war?" She asked sweetly, and Minerva just rolled her eyes.

"Oh yes, I forgot that you're ignoring facts that are right in front of our faces."

"Minerva I-"

"Dolores, we're here to talk about Miss Granger's future, not your inadequacies." Hermione had to fight the urge to suck air in through her teeth at that.

"Yes, well if things go my way then Miss Granger won't _have_ a future."

"Why ever not?"

"Because she is Muggleborn. In a few years they won't be part of our world anymore."

"Are you trying to say that you believe that those of Muggle parentage are not worthy of magic?" Minerva said, obviously trying to restrain herself.

"Whomever she stole her wand from was obviously a rather powerful witch or wizard though. And of course I am Minerva, you must have realised that throughout all your years of teaching."

"You're trying to say that Hermione isn't the smartest witch of her age at all? And how do you think she managed that then?"

"She comes from a rich Muggle family whom are paying off a Ravenclaw student in a higher year to take her place every so often."

"Where do think up these hare-brained schemes?" Hermione questioned, without turning to face her.

"It's obviously not so hare-brained if you're doing it."

"You could drug me up with Veritaserum if you wanted, and then you will know that it is me, that I am the true owner of my wand, and that you, are wrong."

"I have some, in case you really wanted to go through with it." She challenged. At that Minerva stood up in outrage.

"Dolores! You know that we're not allowed to do that to students!" Dolores grinned scarily.

"Ah, yes, but no would have to know about this…" She moved out her seat fast, but she was intercepted by Minerva, who moved faster.

"You will not do this to Hermione."

"Ah, so its Hermione is it?" She questioned with a nasty smile.

"Don't even!" The brunette had her wand out and it was under her chin before Umbridge could go any further. "We both know that Professor McGonagall would _never_ do anything with a student." Umbridge actually looked a little…. Scared.

"Hermione…" Minerva said gently and tugged on her arm slightly. "I think this meeting is over." The brunette grabbed her bag and left, head held high, with as much dignity as she could muster.

_**A/N: This chapter, to be honest, is utter crap. But I had no idea where it was going to go, and what I was going to do, so yeah…. *sigh*Basically, I want to finish this fic, so it was this or I spend the next year spazzing out over it…**_


	12. Chapter 12: Stunners and Dolohov's Curse

**Chapter 12: The Stunners and Dolohov's Curse**

Hermione stared down at the grounds in abject horror, watching as Hagrid had Stunners thrown at him by Umbridge and her team of Aurors, her horror increasing as she watched her transfiguration professor hurtle down towards Hagrid's hut. But four Stunners stopped her, and she was lifted up in an eerie red glow, then she thudded to the ground. Hermione screamed. Then she was up, ignoring Professor's Tofty's cries for her to come back, ignoring the exam, ignoring her friends, she just had to know if Minerva was alright. Down the stairs, down that corridor, take a shortcut, and she eventually came out next to the Hospital Wing, at the same time that Minerva appeared on a stretcher, Dumbledore, wand out, coming up behind her. She gasped and bent over, hands on her knees, only then how realising how fast and far she had been running.

"Miss Granger, Minerva's alive, but she's not in a good place." He didn't look at all surprised to see her, which surprised her. He hurried past her into the Hospital Wing, but she was right behind him, and very worried, almost unduly so. The moment the stretcher was through the door Madam Pomfrey was upon them, and Minerva was suddenly in a bed and a hospital gown.

"Four Stunners to the upper chest." Hermione supplied before Madam Pomfrey could ask, and she immediately set to work, magicking various potions straight into her stomach.

"Miss Granger…" Dumbledore started but Hermione turned to him, face set, and cut over him.

"No professor, I'm staying here." She summoned a recliner and her History of Magic notes, then settled in for a long night.

"But what about your exam?"

"It's in the afternoon and we both know that I'm not going to sleep either here or in my dormitory, and at least I know how she is when I'm here." Dumbledore just sighed and summoned his own purple armchair, joining Hermione for the night.

When Hermione went back to the Common Room about an hour before her exam to change, she was bombarded with questions as to her whereabouts up until that point.

"Guys, shh…. It doesn't matter where I was, all you need to know is that Professor McGonagall is stable, but they're moving her to St. Mungo's as we speak."

"How do you know?" Ron questioned, brow furrowed.

"I've been sat in the Hospital Wing all night."

"You went and sat at her bedside?" Harry questioned, his jaw practically dropping.

"Yes, I was." She said, unsuccessfully fighting the blush that rose to cover her cheeks as she pushed past them and hurried up the stairs to her dormitory. Ron went back to playing Wizard's Chess against himself but Harry hurried over to where Ginny was talking to some of the girls in her year.

"Ginny, can I have a word?" The redhead nodded and excused herself, following Harry over to a table in the corner.

"I think that Hermione might have a crush on McGonagall."

"Oh that's not news, Harry." Ginny said with a laugh.

"But it might be a little more than a crush; she spent the night at her bedside in the Hospital Wing." Ginny's eyes widened.

"I think it's quite a lot more than a crush, Harry." She said slowly. At that moment Hermione came down the stairs, changed into a new, pristine school uniform. Ginny shot her a look and then hurried over to rejoin her friends.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

There was a purple slash, and then crippling, uncontrollable pain. She sunk to the floor, unconscious, arms wrapped around her middle, as though trying to keep herself together, and blood flowing down her robes, creating a red pool around her immobile body.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

Minerva fought the sleepiness that crept in around her body, the urge to escape back into her warm cocoon and never wake up again was there, but she forced her eyes open, even though it was like she was trying to move through treacle. She eventually forced them open and noticed Albus sat in a chair next to her bed.

"Has anyone been to see me? How long have I been unconscious?"

"Only since last night when we put in the Hospital Wing and then you were moved here early this morning. No one's been in, because they've been teaching, but I've had various people question how you are, and Miss Granger sat with you in the Hospital Wing all night."

"She sat with me all night? But what about her History of magic exam?"

"She spent the time she was awake revising, and she did manage to catch a few hours, but according to her she wasn't going to be able to sleep in her dormitory anyway. Also, she's been injured recently, in the Department of Mysteries."

"What happened? Is she alright?" She tried to get up but was pushed back down by two things; the pain in her chest and Albus's hand.

"She will be fine. She is safely ensconced in the Hospital Wing, and Poppy has never failed yet." Minerva calmed and sunk back into her pillows.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

She woke up a few days later in the Hospital Wing, the first thing her body registered was that her torso was really painful, and that someone was holding her right hand in their own. For a few moments she just laid there, still seeming to sleep, but curiosity as to who was holding her hand won out in the end, and she managed to force her heavy eyelids open. As soon as her eyes fluttered open the hand was quickly retracted, and Hermione immediately missed it. She turned her head and noticed that Minerva was looking at her with worry-filled eyes, and that Ron was on the bed opposite her, talking to Harry, who was sat in a chair next to his bed.

"Hermione, how do you feel?"

"Professor, how are you?" They said at exactly the same time, and then burst out laughing. Harry and Ron looked over at them then, shocked that Minerva was laughing. She could laugh? That happened? Hermione could see that in their facial expressions and it just made her laugh harder, which then made Minerva laugh even more. Harry saw that there was some sort of connection between the two, there was something there, and it was definitely more than just the bond between a teacher and her favourite student. Ever since Minerva had come back from St Mungo's she had parked herself in that chair next to the brunette's bed and hardly left. Hermione stopped laughing first and she couldn't help but immerse herself in the relief that she felt, seeing that Minerva was here, safe and alive.

"Seriously, how are you?" She got in there first before Minerva could ask again.

"I'm fine." She waved the question away but the younger brunette glared at her so she relented. "A bit stiff, and I've gained some more scars, but otherwise I'm fine. I will be fully recovered by the end of the summer at the latest."

"I've already told Professor Dumbledore that he's not to send you on any particularly strenuous mission for the Order over the summer." She informed her with a cheeky grin, and Minerva gave her a glare that was unconvincing because she looked so shocked that Hermione had had the audacity to do that.

"I can't believe that you've done that! In all my years no one's ever had the audacity-" Hermione broke her off mid – rant.

"I'm doing it for your own good. And I'm sure that Dumbledore would have done the same thing even if I hadn't told him to." Minerva just sighed and shook her head, but she knew that she wasn't going to win this one, so she rapidly changed the subject.

"Anyway, how are you? We were all really worried for a moment there, we weren't sure if you were going to make it through."

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." She wiggled her fingers and toes, and shifted about a bit, wincing when she pulled on one of her stomach muscles, and Minerva was immediately on to her, fussing.

"I'm fine, really, I'm fine." She replied with a small smile, ushering Minerva to sit back down.

"Hmmm… Well how about I telephone your parents and tell them to not let you out the house at all this summer?"

"Don't be petty." Hermione retaliated with a grin. "And anyway, do you even know how to use a phone?"

"Of course I do, I'm not useless." She huffed.

"Yes, but Ron says that he's not useless and he can't use a telephone." Hermione retorted and then chuckled when Ron retorted angrily; "I know how to use a fellytone now!" The elder witch laughed and patted Hermione's hand to draw her away from Ronald before an argument blossomed.

"I thought we had an agreement? You weren't supposed to end up in the Hospital wing at the end of this year?"

"Blame Harry," she joked and they laughed, Minerva standing up as she did so.

"I better be off. Get well soon Hermione, we're going to need you in the years to come." Minerva walked out, leaning heavily on her walking stick.

_**A/N: The end might suck; I missed Pottermore yesterday, so I've stayed up all night and it's 6 in the morning, please tell me off in a review if there are too many typos?**_


	13. Chapter 13: Confunded and the Slug Club

**Chapter 13: Confunded and the Slug Club**

Hermione sighed; she didn't want to be here, but she knew that she had to act as support for Harry and Ron, especially as these were Harry's first try-outs as Captain. Ron was doing rather well, and even though at the beginning he had been rather shaky, he looked a lot more comfortable up there… And he had blocked all five shots. Now it was McLaggen's turn, who was the only other one that was trying out for the Keeper position that actually showed any promise, which is a shame as he's a slimy git. Things were going well… And then Hermione coughed. Suddenly McLaggen veered to the wrong goal, a look of confusion upon his face. But as soon as he realised that he had missed it, he started shouting things about how Ginny was going on easy on Ron, or something along those lines. The brunette couldn't stop the smirk that slowly spread across her face as she quickly peered around the stands, trying to see if anyone had noticed, and she noticed that someone had noticed. A very disapproving looking tabby cat, in fact. She couldn't help but internally cringe as she shot the tabby a quick look, and then she watched her jump up to where she was sat, changing form as she settled into the seat next to the younger brunette.

"That was a very Slytherin thing you just did there, Miss Granger." Minerva said, but she couldn't completely stop the slight smile that was on her face.

"I know," she sighed, "but I couldn't stand it if McLaggen got onto the team, he would just wind Harry up, and he'd be so unbearably smug all of the time."

"And that is why I have not reprimanded you." Minerva said, her smile spreading. "Now, I simply must leave, as the students have started to notice me." She jumped down the stands, quickly changing form before she landed on her face. Hermione just smiled after her, laughing a little to herself. Harry looked up at the commotion that had been caused by Minerva appearing in the stands, and spotted the tabby sprinted down the stands and out of the Stadium, and then he looked back up at Hermione and at the silly smile that adorned her face, and he knew then; Hermione's feelings for the much older Professor were so far away from platonical.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

Minerva sighed as she wandered through the corridors; it was almost curfew and she was sending any stragglers to their Common Rooms, when she came across the young brunette, who was stomping around, muttering to herself, obviously furious about something.

"Hermione?" The younger woman's head snapped up, and she took a deep breath, summoning a smile.

"Professor?"

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's just this stupid Slug Club party thing. Harry's not going because he's landed himself a detention with Snape, so I'm going to be all on my own with _McLaggen _whom will probably be all over me as he's developed some sort of obsession. I keep on seeing him the corridors, and he's always talking to me, he even asked me if I'd go to this party with him. Why would I go with him?" Her voice was near shrill towards the end of her rant, and Minerva made shushing motions with her hands.

"Hermione, if you'd like I could get you out of it by saying that you have some sort of prior commitment with me?"

"Oh would you? That would simply be the best."

"Of course," Minerva smiled, "when is it?"

"Friday," it was presently late at night on the Tuesday of the same week, but Minerva was sure that she could sort it out for her star pupil.

"I shall speak to him, and unless you have Prefect duty then you should be in Gryffindor Tower."

"Good night Professor, thank you." She gave her a grateful smile and started towards the Tower.

"No problem Hermione, sleep well." Minerva smiled as she watched her walk away, and then she continued to do her rounds, sending wayward students to their respective dormitories.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

When Hermione left Gryffindor Tower that Friday she was, thank heavens, not heading towards Slughorn's office, instead she was moving in the opposite direction, towards Minerva's. There was a silly smile on her face and a skip in her step, which she was attempting to tone down just a little before she reached Minerva's office. It was just a bit of a shame that she wasn't succeeding. When she reached her destination, she took a deep breath, schooled her features into a neutral position, knocked, and swept into the room, internally laughing at her slightly dramatic entrance. Minerva looked up, a smile spreading across her face.

"Feeling dramatic today?" She asked as Hermione collapsed onto her sofa, attempting to hide the silly grin that she hadn't managed to remove from her face by landing face-down.

"No, I'm just glad that I don't have to go to that stupid party." It came out slightly muffled; her face was buried in the cushions, but Minerva still detected the happiness in her voice, and she moved around the desk to her sofa, grinning at the way that Hermione was splayed over it face down.

"You're going to have to move over for me to be able to sit down, you know?"

"I know…" Hermione groaned and rolled onto her side, bringing her knees up as she did so, which cleared just enough space for Minerva, who promptly moved into the space before Hermione could spread back into it.

"You're rather cheerful today." The older witch noted aloud and Hermione fought a blush.

"Well, of course, for once I'm not surrounded by the dunderheads I have to put up with, day in, day out, and it's Friday! Everyone's always happy on Friday, even when they have double Potions last thing." Minerva just shook her head at the happy brunette, but she couldn't help the smile that fought its way onto her face, her cheerful mood infectious.

There was a quick knock on the door, and then Dumbledore stepped in, wearing a bright purple nightgown and matching nightcap.

"Oh, hello Miss Granger," he said with a smile, and then addressed the older woman, "I wasn't expecting you to have company so late at night, Min."

"It's not la-" she started to say, but she caught sight of the clock, and her eyes widened in an almost comical moment. "It's past one!" She exclaimed, "Hermione, you're going to have to go to Gryffindor Tower, otherwise I would be ignoring my duty as a teacher." Minerva said, but there was still a slight smile in place.

"Yes, I am going to have to, aren't I?" She sighed and slowly removed herself from the sofa; she was covered in quite a few cushions, and her robes were all tangled around her legs.

"Goodnight Minerva, Professor Dumbledore." She said with a smile, and moved towards the door, a quiet "goodnight Hermione," following her."

_**A/N: This felt… Strangely weird to write. I don't know why. I think the beginning's a little odd, not the same as my usual writing style. Thoughts? (Yes, shameless plugging for reviews.)**_


	14. Chapter 14: Twittering Birds

**Chapter 14: Twittering Birds**

The brunette climbed through the portrait hole, a grin on her face, amused by the look on Malfoy's face, and the happiness of the crowd of Gryffindors that she'd wandered up to the Tower with had been infectious. But the sight that met her eyes as she got through the portrait hole was heartbreaking. There was the man that she was supposedly destined to be with, kissing that whore. So she turned tail and fled, fled to an empty classroom, where she hopefully wouldn't be found. But Harry soon found her, and she realised that it was far too close to Gryffindor Tower. He comforted her for a while, until Ron and lavender practically fell through the door, laughing and obviously looking for some privacy.

"Oopsie." Lavender giggled in that annoying voice of hers. Hermione just felt incomprehensible rage towards them, and the stupid look on the other three's faces. Lavender quickly backed out of the room, but Ron remained, that stupid, gormless look on his face.

"Hi Harry! Wondered where you'd got off to!" He tried in the cheeriest voice he could muster. The brunette slid forwards off the desk, the flock of golden birds following her, twittering around her head.

"You shouldn't leave Lavender outside. She'll wonder where you've gone." She continued forwards, slowly, towards the door, until, with her hand upon the doorknob, she shouted; "_Oppugno!"_ Then she furiously wrenched the door open, fleeing down the corridor.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

Minerva paused outside her classroom door. She had been doing her last rounds before heading to bed, and something felt wrong. She unlocked the door to hear what sounded like crying… And was surprised to find Hermione of all people lying on the hard, cold, stone floor in the foetal position. Minerva felt her heart break for her.

"Hermione?" She fell to her knees next to the prone form, wincing as her knees struck the floor. Before she could think she had pulled her head into her lap, and was stroking the top of her head, getting her hair out of her face. The befuddled teen grabbed onto green robes and clung on, like it was her lifeline. She was dizzy and nauseated from all the crying, and her eyes were red and puffy, tear tracks on her face. She normally wouldn't let anyone see her like this. Harry and Ron hadn't seen her cry, not properly, and her parents hadn't for years. But she was letting Minerva see her like this because she trusted her. She trusted her almost beyond any other person she knew. And it was time to let go of one of the things weighing down her heart.

"I walked into the Gryffindor Common Room, and there was Ron, snogging the face off of Lavender. And all I can think is, why would you pick her over me? I know I'm not the prettiest, or the most interesting, but I'm smart, and I know stuff." Minerva felt her heart sink. It was over a boy. A boy. "I needed him, I needed to take him home to show his parents, I needed him to fall in love with me because I couldn't take a girl home to my parents. My Christian parents who would never accept their only daughter being gay. And now, I just felt it slammed in my face. I wanted to fall in love with the idea of him, but I never could, I haven't, and I never will."

"You don't need to fall in love with the idea of who he is, you should fall in love with whom you want to fall in love with. You don't need him. You're such an amazing woman already, and you've still got so much time to grow. Your parents should accept you how you are. Whether you bring a girl home or not. And if they don't, then they shouldn't be able to call themselves good parents. A mother's love should be unconditional. It shouldn't change."

"But she can't accept me like that!"

"She can. If she really loved you she would. But for now, you're just going to have to tough it out, because that is all we can do."

"We?"

"I had to do the same. And I'm still not completely sure whether she accepted me before she was killed to this day. So, make sure that you tell her before something happens, before she can't make up with you, because you never know what can happen." Hermione raised her head and looked at Minerva with puffy eyes.

"How do I tell her?"

"You just have to come out with it, there's nothing else that you can do. And she should accept you, because if she was a good, fair woman she would, and if she doesn't then I'll make sure to deal with her." Minerva had a soft smile on her face, and she managed to coax a little laugh out of Hermione.

"You should not shed a single tear because of Ron Weasley, not for that reason. Not after this."

"I don't know if I can do this." She whispered, almost sounding broken, and she almost broke back into tears.

"You can, oh, you're one of the strongest people I know, and I know that you can do this. This is another reason as to why you're a Gryffindor, no matter how much Filius argues and says that you belong in his house."

"Sometimes I don't even know if I can accept myself. I've been brought up to believe that gay people are sinners, that they are partaking in a sin, that it's a choice, an addiction, and here I am, and I can't stop it, and I know that I can't. But, that means that who else knows what else I've been brought up to believe is wrong?"

"My father was a vicar. I know how you feel. I had it drilled into me since birth, religion was everywhere I turned. But wizards don't have religions, and they have no problems with gays. Well, some of the Pureblood families don't let their children be gay, but that's a family thing, as opposed to a homophobic thing. They accept other gay people, just not family as gay people. That's another reason why Sirius ran away, he was gay." Hermione didn't look surprised.

"I know him and Remus were together for a long time. Remus was devastated, and he's technically lost him twice, once to Azkaban and what he thought was Voldemort, and again to death."

"It hurts. But you'll find your Sirius one day. And it won't be a male, because you're stubborn, and so is your subconscious. This isn't something that you can get away from or ignore. I tried that I got depressed, and everything got worse for it. Now, we should be going, because this floor is hardly comfortable, it's past midnight, and I'm fairly sure that you need to get into bed." She slowly stood up, groaning from having kneeled on the floor for too long and offered her hand to Hermione to help her up, who grasped it, composing herself as she stood up. Minerva pulled her forwards and into a hug, arms and front tingling strangely from where the brunette was pushed up against her. She was tense at first but then she relaxed, and arms snaked around the slim witch's waist. They stayed wrapped in the embrace for strictly longer than was maybe necessary, but both were drawing comfort from it, and the strange tingling was enjoyable, even if unexpected. The older witch knew it to be a sign of fierce attraction, but she could hardly believe that, could she? It deserved to be ignored for now, and the younger witch didn't know what it was, but she knew that she wanted to feel it more often.

"Goodnight Professor." She said quietly as she drew away.

"Minerva, dear. Sleep well Hermione." They parted ways, and that night, they both dreamt of the other.

**_A/N: Wrote this while listening to Obliviate and Lily's Theme over and over again... Makes me want to cry all over myself like a boss. :P Well, anyway, Please drop me a review? :3 *shameless plugging*_**


	15. Chapter 15: Telling Harry and Ron

**Chapter 15: Telling Harry and Ron**

_**A/N: Look, it's another chapter with a week or something! I bet you guys are damn surprised. :P**_

Hermione sighed. She had to do this. She knew that she did. But there was no way that it was ever going to make this easier. She had to tell Harry and Ron how she truly felt. She had to tell them, at least, if not anyone else. Although everyone would come to know eventually, but they would be so hurt if they were the last to know, or if they found out at the same time as everyone else. She had been hoping for there to come a good time, but she realised that it wasn't going to come on its own, so she had to create it. And that was going to be so hard.

"All you can do is hope for the best. If they're really your true friends, then they will accept this, and realise that you're still the same Hermione, and that you were like that even before you told them." Was all that Minerva had said.

"But what if they don't accept it? What if they can't look past this one change in me?"

"It's not a change, because you're still the same person that you were at 11."

"But what if they don't see that?"

"Then they don't deserve you. Weasley will take it worse than Potter; he's in love with you. Potter will accept it. He's one of the most accepting people that I've ever meant, and he understands how it feels to be singled out. Weasley will try to make you fall in love with him, he's try to convince you that it's a stage."

"What is this with Lavender then?"

"That's because he wants to make you jealous. People in love always seem to think that that works, but it usually doesn't. Well, it works better on men as they are generally very protective and territorial." Hermione just sighed. This could go so badly.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

The brunette braced herself. She was going to do this. She was so going to do this. She rounded the corner and saw her targets, walking quickly towards them with purpose. She was going to- Ron was with Lavender. Okay, she wasn't going to do this. But she carried on forwards anyway, crushing any doubts she may have had. "Harry, Ron, I really need to talk to you." She glanced at Lavender, "in private." They both nodded and she dragged them into Minerva's classroom; it was after dinner and Minerva had promised her privacy, but she locked the door and warded the room all the same.

"Hermione, what's going on?"

"I have something very important to discuss with you." She took a deep breath. "What's your view on homosexuality?"

"It's your life." Harry's eyes narrowed; he already knew what she was trying to say.

"Erm... I've never given it much thought. But like Harry says, it's your life." Ron said gormlessly. "But I don't see what this has to do with anything?"

"Well, it has to do with everything really, because, well, erm, I'm gay." She closed her eyes, and braced herself. Nothing happened and then she opened them again, confused. Harry's face was blank and Ron's eyes were bugging out of his head.

"Are you sure?" He stammered out.

"Of course I am. I wouldn't have told you otherwise."

"But it could be a stage, right? Or, you could be wrong?"

"I really don't think it is." She sighed.

"But, but..." He looked like his whole world had been shattered in front of his eyes. "No, you're wrong. I'll prove it to you." He said stubbornly.

"How could you possibly do that?" He suddenly sprung up, and kissed her on the lips. She pushed him off and wiped her lips violently.

"RON! What was that? That basically confirmed it." He tore out the room before anything else was said, and Hermione just glumly watched him go, tears already dripping down her face slowly. She watched as Harry just slowly followed Ron out of the room. She rushed over to the door in the corner, the one that opened to the passageway to Minerva's office; Minerva had told her to go see her after she told them. By the time the brunette was opening the door at the end, the tears were going steadily down her face. The older woman rushed straight over to her, leading her over to the sofa.

"What happened?" She asked urgently, taking Hermione's hand in hers and settling them shoulder to shoulder on the ruby red sofa.

"Ron just said it was a phase, and then he kissed me, and said that he was trying to prove it was, and then he ran out, and Harry didn't even say anything to me before he just got up and left."

"Oh, Hermione. They'll come round. You'll see. In the end they will, even if it does take them a while. Both of them love you, and both of them need you."

"But what do I do until they do? They're my best friends, Minerva, I can't lose them."

"I know Hermione, I know." She drew her into an embrace and they sat there until Hermione's tears stopped coming.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

The brunette basically spent the next month hidden away in Minerva's office, mostly doing her homework in there instead of the common room so as to not receive too many glares from Ron and to not have to witness Harry trying desperately hard to ignore her. It was after a month that she randomly threw down her book in despair.

"I don't understand it. Why won't Harry talk to me? He hasn't even given me his opinion on the news. And Ron's been giving me flowers and chocolates and all sorts, like he's trying to make me fall in love with him."

"Of course that's what he's trying to do, and you're just going to have to leave him to it for now, because he isn't going to stop."

"But he needs to. I am so close to just flipping out at him, which I really don't want to do, even though he most definitely deserves it."

"I know. And he'll get the message eventually; it might just take a while." Minerva sighed.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

Ron bounded into the hall, flowers and chocolates in his arms, straight over to where Hermione was sat eating a bowl of Frosties.

"Hermione, these are for you." He said with a large grin on his face, and then he bent down and pecked her on the lips. She just exploded, standing up and pushing past him.

"I don't want any of this Ron! I don't want to date you; I don't want your flowers, or the chocolates. I just want to be your friend." Then she fled, fighting to get out of there before the tears started. Minerva was instantly up and following, discreetly exiting out the door behind the Staff Table while everyone was staring either at Hermione or Ron. She moved fast in the hopes of cutting Hermione off before she got too far, transforming into her Animagus form as soon as she could. She quickly caught up with her, and followed her to the nearest bathroom, quickly changing back when they got there.

"Oh, Hermione." She quickly drew her into an embrace. "I knew you were going to crack eventually, we both did. He should get it now though, and then he'll leave you alone."

"But I don't want to lose him. What if he tells everyone?"

"Then he'll tell everyone. It won't be so bad. Mr Finnegan and Mr Thomas have already told everyone that they're dating."

"How do you know about that?"

"I know everything, remember?" Hermione giggled and wiped her tears.

"I don't want to go to lesson and face all of them."

"What have you got first?"

"Charms."

"I'm sure Filius will understand if I take you out of lesson as I have a free, I'll just send a Patronus to him." She waved her wand, a cat flowing out the tip and dashing out through the door, and then her and Hermione went to her office.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

"Hermione!" She groaned. She'd just gone up to the common room to drop her bag off, but she was already being summoned over by Ginny, who was sat with Harry and Ron.

"Hey guys." She said nervously as she approached, surprised when Ginny stood up and hugged her.

"I only just found out that you told them. I'd already assumed of course, but where have you been for the past month?"

"Oh, here and there." She said nonchalantly, but revelling in the hug, glad that at least one of her friends accepted her.

Harry looked at her for the first time in a month and gave her a tentative smile. "Hermione, I'm so sorry for how I've treated you. Your life is yours and you should be able to do what you want to do. I shouldn't have been such a dick, and I accept you just the way you are." She grinned and jumped on him, pulling him into a massive hug. When she drew away both Harry and Ginny looked expectantly at Ron.

"What? I'm not going to let this go." Ginny looked furious.

"Yes, you are. Because when I tell Mum she will never forgive you." Hermione looked alarmed.

"What?" You're telling Mrs Weasley now?"

"Well, they're going to have to find out eventually. None of them will care. Charlie's gay. So they'll just accept it, and it'll get Ron off your back."

"Fine, fine, I'll stop it with the chocolates and the flowers and the hitting on you all of the time, but I still believe that we belong together, and I will carry on believe that for as long as I am alive." She sighed.

"I guess that's the best I'm going to get." But then she broke into a huge grin. "I've got to go." She dashed upstairs to dump her bag, and then ran out the portrait hole, hoping to catch Minerva before she went to dinner.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

She managed to catch her just as she was coming out of her office, and she practically ran into, giving her a huge hug with a massive grin on her face, which was contagious and Minerva couldn't help the smile that spread onto her face.

"Everything's great!" She exclaimed and spun them around.

"Oh?" Minerva raised an eyebrow but wrapped her arms around the shorter woman anyway.

"Yep, I talked to Harry and Ginny and Ron and Harry and Ginny are being great but Ron's still a bit iffy but it doesn't matter because we're all friends again and everything's great!" She exclaimed, talking almost too fast for Minerva to understand, but she caught it after a moment and the smile spread almost into a grin.

"I'm so glad. Does this mean that you won't spend all of your time hiding away in my office anymore?" Minerva managed to keep from sounding too upset.

"Well, I can still come see you, right?" Hermione looked nervous suddenly.

"Of course, I'm always happy to see you."

"Well then I'd like to still come to your office some nights."

"You're always welcome." Minerva said with a smile, glad that Hermione still wanted to spend time with her. The brunette returned the smile, and then drew out of the hug when she realised that they were still embracing. "Now, we should go to dinner." Hermione nodded and they walked down together.


	16. Chapter 16: The First Battle of Hogwarts

_**A/N: I give you all full permission to hit me with various objects. I know, I know, I haven't updated since October. I do love you all, I promise, and I just wrote this today, just sat down and wrote. I haven't read it through, I have no idea how good it is, but please drop me a review to say? Thank you to all who still bother to read this. :D**_

**Chapter 15: The First Battle of Hogwarts**

Minerva glanced around, her eyes straying to the person that seemed to always be in her thoughts; Hermione. Spells seemed to be missing her as though she had some sort of enchantment upon her, but there was not the sheen of magic that usually would surround one under such a spell. Whatever it was, she was glad. Glad her beautiful charge was elegantly dodging and cursing and running and surviving. Because that was all that was important; that her Hermione survived. Her eyes stayed upon the brunette even as she disarmed Yaxley and tied up Dolohov. Then their eyes met through the smoke and the spells and the screaming. Everything fell away until it was just them, and Minerva couldn't resist when her legs guided her forwards to her, and Hermione couldn't seem to stop herself either. They came to a stop in front of each other, when a spell and a cackle jolted them apart; Bellatrix. Minerva's wand whipped in her direction, sending a Stupefy quickly followed by an Incarcerous, but neither met their target, as she knew they wouldn't. The dark witch wasn't staying anyway, she was there and then away like a shot, and both witches were glad to see the back of her, even though a band of Death Eaters seemed to be following her. Soon Harry was running past them, shouting, and the Death Eaters were gone.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

Albus was gone, Bill was in hospital and it was all Minerva could do to not burst into tears right there in the Hospital Wing. She couldn't face anyone right now, not even Hermione and she quickly disappeared up to the Headmaster's office, the office which she assumed was hers, and she was proved right when the gargoyle opened up when he saw her. He didn't say anything, not even something sarcastic even though Minerva had had many a conversation with the statue. She stepped past him up onto the stairs, and as she went to open the office door he spoke, his gravelly voice vibrating through her.

"He was a great man, and even I will miss him." The tears started then as she truly considered what his death meant, the loss of one of her only friends, of her best friend. The man with which she talked about everything. The man she would miss for the rest of her days. The man that had left her as the figurehead for this war, she had to guide her way through on her own. She numbly walked into the office, looking up at the walls to see the portrait of Albus in the middle, who was kindly looking down upon her.

"Oh, Min, do not look so sad."

"How do you expect me to look?" She snapped, her fiery temper rising up in her, her rage at everything that had happened, her rage that wasn't truly meant for him. She softened. "What do I do now?" It was barely a whisper, but Albus caught it all the same.

"You stand up tall and you do what you always do. You hide the hurt and you take my place. You are the only person I could imagine becoming figurehead for the Light, the only one with the strength."

"I don't know if I do have the strength Albus. I just want to hide my head in the sand and not come out again until all this is over."

"It won't be over unless you make it so. You have to stay here, dearest, look after Hogwarts and the students for me."

"I'll always be at Hogwarts." She promised, and she knew that it was true, for this was her home, and her cubs would always need her.

"I know, Min. Now go get some sleep, you'll need it. The world is changing, and this is just the first step. This will be a desperate, bitter fight, and we will lose many. And you need to be ready for it."

"Albus…"

"No, Min, don't say anything. Just go get some sleep. The world will have changed by the morning, and you need to be ready to see it." She sighed and moved to leave, to go back to her own quarters. "The quarters upstairs are yours now, just the gargoyle letting you in means that even if it's only temporary, you are Headmistress." She looked surprised.

"Does it really change so quickly?"

"In this situation where there is still some of the school term left, yes." She sighed and turned around, heading up the curved staircase to where she knew the bedchamber that was now hers was.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

The brunette sighed as she wandered the corridors. Her mind drifted to Minerva as she wandered where she was, how she was, whether she was sleeping or not. She knew that Minerva had been cracking and that was why nobody had seen her since she had visited Bill in the Hospital Wing. She needed time to grieve, Hermione knew that but she also desperately wanted to see her, to question that moment that had passed between them, whether she had felt it too or if it was just the brunette's imagination making her think things that weren't really there. But it wasn't the time, which she knew, so waiting was what she was prepared to do. But how could she leave her to grieve the death of one of the only people in the world who truly knew her alone? She didn't know where her feet were taking her, but when she came to a stop she found herself in front of the gargoyle that lead to Dumbledore's office. Which she supposed was now Minerva's. The gargoyle looked at her for a moment and then said slowly, as though his words were measured.

"Miss Granger, I do suppose you are here to see Minerva?"

"You suppose correctly." She said carefully.

"Why?"

"Because I can't leave her to grieve on her own." She replied honestly, and the gargoyle sighed.

"Usually I would not be swayed so easily merely by human emotions, but we all experienced the loss of someone very, very important today, someone who was especially important to her." He revealed the staircase and she stepped on, smiling softly.

"Thank you so much." The gargoyle grunted. "Don't expect it often," and was rewarded with a soft laugh as she stepped through the door into the circular office, still full of weird whirring machines and items of which even she wasn't sure of the purpose. She paused as the door closed behind her, as she thought about the reality of just barging in to see Minerva when she would be very, very, closed, and would try to hide any tears, however obvious they may be. She was closed like a clam, and Hermione wasn't sure whether she could get her open without breaking her today.

"Ah, Miss Granger, exactly whom I was hoping to see." A kindly, recognisable voice spoke from above her, from the portrait newly placed upon the wall.

"Professor Dumbledore, you've already got a portrait," she said, surprised.

"Indeed I have, they work rather fast here, what with the magic and all." He smiled down at her, "I hope you're here to comfort my dearest tabby."

"Of course. Only, I, erm, don't quite know what to say to her." She could feel herself wavering, how she wanted to turn around and go back to her dormitory.

"Don't even think about leaving Miss Granger or I'll be forced to do something silly like follow you through the portraits." He said somewhat sternly, but there was a certain lightness in his voice.

"What do I say?" She said softly.

"Just comfort her. Please. I would, but I'm in a portrait." Hermione smiled slightly and moved towards the stairs.

"Top floor, door on the left." He supplied when she looked around confusedly once she mounted the first flight. She followed his instructions and slowly opened the door to find Minerva lying atop the sheets staring up at the ceiling, still in her robes and hair falling out of her bun.

"Minerva…" She breathed and moved forward, coming to a stop next to the bed, unsure as to whether she could cross the boundary of laying on it next to her, but she took off her shoes anyway.

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" She sat up sharply, wispy strands of dark hair falling around her face and shoulders.

"I came to see you. I just had to see if you were alright. I'm not going to ask because I know it's a stupid question but I just came to be here, so you had someone while you grieved."

"Hermione, I –"

"No. You are not going to spout that you're fine when your eyes are read and there are tear tracks on your face. I know you're hurting, I know you're upset. But please, let me help you, please."

"You can't help me, not really."

"But I can be here for you, please, let me be here for you." She moved further forward, sitting on the edge of the bed and grabbing a slender hand.

"You shouldn't see me like this." She said, softer.

"I don't care whether I should or I shouldn't, you shouldn't have to deal with this on your own," she retorted. "I care, Minerva, I care so much, and I can't let you lay here, alone. He was your best friend, one of the only people you have ever truly let into your life, and you need someone here, someone you can trust while you try to compartmentalise everything, and try to get your life back in order from this knock off its axis. I want to be that person, so let me." Minerva sighed and laid her other hand upon their clasped ones.

"You should see me as the strong, venerable Professor."

"I see you as a friend." Minerva looked at her for a long moment and then she lay back upon the covers and pulled Hermione down with her.

"I trust you." She whispered and held the younger witch, both of them seeking the comfort they needed, the warmth they needed to be able to fall asleep and wait for the dawn which would mark the change of everything they knew.


	17. Chapter 17: Just Trust Me

**Chapter 17: Just Trust Me**

_**A/N: Word of warning; don't expect this chapter to be **_**anything**_** like it is in the original, I wasn't happy with that when I wrote it and I'm still not. **_

_**Guys, erm, I've lost a chapter somewhere? I've got 16 chapters already up not including this one, but I've only got 15 other chapters saved in my documents? But at least you've got the chapters, eh? I'll have to through and find out where I've gone wrong. :P**_

It was going to be the first time that Hermione saw Minerva since that night when she had finally let her in, let her past the barriers, and she had absolutely no idea how the older witch was going to be with her. If Hermione had to guess then she would say that the older woman would try to push her away again, that she was going to pretend that it had never happened. But Hermione was not going to let her. If she wasn't able to love her like she longed to, then at least she was going to be there for her. Whether Minerva was prepared to let her or not.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

When Hermione found out where she was sitting during the wedding ceremony she was rather surprised; instead of being sat with the boys and the rest of the Weasleys she was sat with the Hogwarts professors. She didn't mind of course, especially as she was sat next to Minerva, but when she next saw Fleur she couldn't resist asking her about it.

"Oh, yes well, I had noticed when I was at Hogwarts that there were some longing looks and fleeting glances and I could tell that there were feelings there, and in a time with so little love I thought I could try out some matchmaking." The brunette stared at her for a moment until the words sunk in properly.

"You mean the feelings are reciprocated?"

"Of course! How could you have not noticed?" the bride-to-be drifted off to straighten some napkins or whatever it was that she claimed she simply had to do, and left Hermione with some very hectic thoughts.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

Thoughts that eventually lead her to the end of the garden where she was surprised to find Harry.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking," he sighed and they were quiet for a moment. "I really hate that I'm not going to be able to greet people I know as myself."

"I know. But at least it means that you'll get out of talking to people you don't like?" she offered, bumping the shoulders together.

"Yeah, but it means that people won't watch their mouths around me," he said bitterly.

"Most people don't, anyway," she reminded him quietly. "And all the important people will know of your disguise. It'll be fine," she sighed. "I'm not quite sure why they're getting married now anyway."

"To spread a little love, a little happiness."

"I know, it's just rather sudden, isn't it? Who says they'll even last. War brings some closer and rips others apart."

"Our friendship will make it through, right?" he sounded uncertain for a moment.

"I will always be there for you, Harry, no matter what." He scrutinised her for a moment.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?

"Yes, and you can do the same."

"Can I ask you a question?" he sounded hesitant.

"Of course."

"Well, you told us you were gay, and I completely accept it and such, but I was just wondering what made you notice as I didn't really get a chance to ask you before?"

"Well, erm, basically I've been in love with this woman for the last few years," the brunette blushed. "And I just noticed that I'm attracted to women. Like just the way I react to them, the way that I myself looking at them, the way I think about them."

"Oh," he frowned in thought. "I think I get it," he paused for a moment. "Any chance you could tell who this woman is?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "It's kind of a weird one."

"It is you," he laughed. "You'll love this person entirely for their personality, their smarts. You'd never fall in love with someone like Fleur, you'd never fall for looks."

"You're right there," she chuckled nervously. "She is beautiful though," her eyes unfocused as she thought about her.

"You really love her, don't you?" he asked, confused as to how he hadn't noticed, how he had missed this.

"Yeah, I really, really do," she couldn't stop the grin that spread on to her face."

"How did I never notice?"

"I don't even know," she laughed. "But then again, I have no idea how she hasn't noticed, sometimes I'm so obvious I flinch and brace myself."

"Can I guess?"

"Sure."

"McGonagall."

"_Professor_ McGonagall, Harry. But yes," she laughed nervously again.

"Does she know that you're gay?"

"Yeah, she was the first person I ever told, it was like a year ago or something, way before I told you guys. The month where no one was talking to me was spent in her office, she let me spend all that time with her because I told her about how you reacted."

"She must at least like your company then?"

"Yes, so I obviously kind of have a chance. Although she is my teacher," she laughed.

"I'm sure even McG would look past that for you," they both paused for a moment, going quiet for a moment.

"I came down here because I have no idea how she feels. I was talking to Fleur because I was confused as to why I've been sat next to Minerva for the ceremony and she said that it was because she's seen the way that we look at each other and that in these dark times we need more love in the world so she was playing matchmaker."

"Well she'd be right about needing more love in the world. But to be honest I've never really paid too much attention to the way that you and Minerva interact."

"I know, you had no reason to," she smiled at him and then drew him into a tight hug. "I'm so glad I have you, Harry, so, so glad." And then before he knew it she'd disappeared out the garden and was heading into the house.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

The wedding came around rather quickly, and Hermione soon found herself sitting in her seat, which she had been guided to by a disguised Harry. She knew she was early, but she also fully expected Minerva to be, as she always was. She was proved right when she noticed a grinning Harry guiding Minerva over to her , who was already standing to let her slip past and fully intended on giving her a hug.

"Minerva," she greeted, helpless to stop the rather large grin that was making its way across her face and the urge to hug her. She drew her into her arms, which the older woman immediately relaxed into, understanding that this was the brunette's way of reassuring her that even though she had seen her at her weakest she still held her in the highest regard, just as she had before. The older witch gently kissed her on the cheek as they drew apart, almost as though she was acknowledging their silent conversation, and Harry's grin widened.

"Who have I got on the other side?" the older witch asked conversationally as they took their seats.

"Hooch, I think."

"Good stuff, who's on yours?"

"Luna and her dad."

"Brilliant, well let's just hope that the conversation doesn't divert to Wrackspurts too often."

"We can always then divert it to something else?"

"Those Lovegoods are terribly stubborn about their nonsense though," Hooch piped up from where she had appeared next to Minerva. "Good seating arrangements we've got here!" she exclaimed happily.

"Yes, we are rather lucky," Minerva said. "Although not so much about you," she said teasingly. Hooch took on a mock offended expression.

"Hey! You know that you find me very interesting really. How early are we?" she glanced around and noticed that the marquee wasn't even half-full.

"Not too bad, only about twenty minutes," the brunette supplied helpfully.

"Ah, good, I was an hour early to a wedding once and ended up sat next to some creepy guy that kept on touching my leg."

"I could do that if you like?" Minerva offered and Quidditch instructor glared at her.

"Oh, thanks, how helpful of you," she said sarcastically. "I'd prefer Hermione, thanks," the mentioned brunette laughed.

"I'm not touching your leg," she said quickly and Rolanda pouted.

"Damn, well, if you ever feel like stroking someone's leg, you know where I am," she winked at her cheerfully and ignored the glares that Minerva was sending her way.

"I'm really going to have to turn you down I'm afraid," Rolanda went back to pouting.

"You're no fun. Why do straight people even exist?" she muttered to herself.

"It's not that," Hermione said quickly, surprising even herself. "I'm just really not interested, I'm afraid. You're not really my type."

"I'm now very offended," she joke huffed. "Who is your type anyway?"

"Oh, I think that I'm just very, very picky," she tried to cover, not wanting to be honest and just describe Minerva right in front of her.

"Is there anyone here that you'd stroke the leg of?"

"A few people," Hermione smirked, proud that she'd managed to maintain eye contact and not look at Minerva.

"Anyone I know?"

"Don't you know like everyone I know?" the brunette couldn't resist pointing out.

"True, true. So there are people here that you would stroke the leg of? Can I guess?"

"If you really want to, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be honest when answering," Hermione smirked.

"Is that seriously all I'm going to get?"

"Yep." Rolanda settled back into her seat, crossed her arms and went back to pouting.

"I'm no longer talking to you," she said through her pout.

"Fine, Minerva's more interesting than you anyway," Hermione laughed and turned to the older woman. "So, what do you make of Bill and Fleur as a couple?"

"We can only hope that they'll make each other very happy, we need some more happiness right now." Minerva was just glad that her disappointment as to Hermione's lack of willingness to share wasn't showing.

"Indeed," Hermione said softly and sighed. "I don't think that I'm returning to Hogwarts this year."

"I know. If Albus were still Headmaster you would have been Head Girl this year."

"I had… Suspected," she laughed softly.

"I'm going to miss you while you're off risking your life with Potter," the older woman admitted, her voice quiet.

"I'm going to miss you too," the brunette sighed. "I wanted to tell you before we gallivanted off. We could go right now if we really wanted to, I've been packed for days."

"Of course you have, you're always prepared," she joked, nudging the younger witch, trying to lighten the mood slightly. Then Rolanda decided to do it for them.

"I'd tap that," she announced, nodding to a female friend of the bride's. Both Hermione and Minerva nodded.

"She's gorgeous," the brunette remarked.

"The group of them are," Minerva added. There was a group of girls clustered together that were obviously all old classmates of Fleur's.

"I might go introduce myself," Rolanda tried to leave them when Minerva grabbed on to the back of her robes.

"If you _have_ to seduce one of them, please wait until after the ceremony?" Minerva hissed and Rolanda pouted, but sat down again regardless.

"I wonder how many I can take home?" she wondered aloud and Hermione laughed at the spike-haired woman's audacity.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMM**

"Can I take this dance?" Hermione laughed and held her hand out to Minerva when a song that she recognised finally came on. It was slow, but she really hoped that Minerva would accept.

"Why of course, gentlelady," they giggled together as in gentlemanly fashion Hermione took the place of the man in the dance, one hand going to the taller woman's waist and the other clasping the older witch's. They spun around the floor, Minerva's natural grace and Hermione's childhood dance lessons making them a stunning pair, which drew far more attention than they might have wanted.

"We're drawing rather a lot of attention," she stage whispered after a few moments of simply enjoying having the taller woman in her arms.

"Don't we always?" Hermione couldn't help but take that as an invitation to draw her into a rather daring dip, causing the witch she was dipping and rather a lot of others gasp aloud.

"Could you possibly warn me before you do that again?" she breathed as she was pulled back up.

"Where would be the fun in that?" and then all hell broke loose. They watched, transfixed as the Lynx Patronus bounded into the room, Kingsley's voice booming all around them.

"They are coming. They are coming." Hermione looked straight up at Minerva.

"I will miss you so much," she sighed as she heard Harry and Ron shouting her name, they all knew that this meant that they had to leave, right now.

"I will miss you too. Now go. Harry will never survive without you." The brunette kissed her on the cheek, wiping away the single tear that dripped down Minerva's face, brown eyes interlocked with brown, and then she was away, Apparating away from the woman she loved with Harry and Ron in tow.


	18. Chapter 18: The Battle

_**A/N: So I had started the "Missing You" chapter but uhm... I don't really write angst any more? I don't know I don't really have much of a poetic soul these days, so I'm just going to skip right to the battle. To be quite frank with you all I am 700% done with this fanfic and you all probably are too considering I last updated in April 2012. Let's just get it over with and then we can all go get ourselves some ginger newts and a cup of tea. **_

Hermione scanned the area around her, searching for the one person that she knew should be here, but that she'd lost in the frantic fray of the battle all around her. "Have you seen Minerva?" she yelled at Kingsley as she ducked under another badly aimed curse, throwing one quickly back in the direction from which it had come.

"I think she's in the Entrance Hall," he yelled back, quickly using a shield charm to protect them both.

"Thanks!" she ran off out the Great Hall, still looking all around her, alert for wayward curses and the presence of the woman she was in love with.

"Minerva!" she yelled, relieved, but also in warning as a Death Eater attempted to flank the older witch, something that Hermione easily put a stop to.

"Hermione!" her happiness to see her was evident in her voice, and she couldn't help the smile that spread onto her face when she saw the girl, dirty but not visibly harmed. The younger woman worked her way over to her, catching Minerva's assailants in the back as she went, mostly unencumbered by the fight that was all around her. The older woman couldn't help but throw herself forwards, sweeping the brunette up into a hug.

"I'm so glad you're safe," she said quietly into her ear, squeezing tight for a long moment, and keeping hold of her hand even once they'd broken apart, pulling her with her as she ducked into a small, apparently useless room off of the Entrance Hall.

"Me too," Hermione grinned, wiping a smudge of dirt from the older woman's cheek. "I wasn't sure whether I'd get a chance to speak to you," she said quietly. "So I decided to take matters into my own hands."

"I'm glad you did," she was still grinning as she scanned the younger woman from head to toe, carefully looking for any sign of injury. "How are you? You're not hurt or anything are you?"

"No, no I'm fine. I have a wand blister," she admitted, looking down at her right hand. "But nothing that needs seeing to. How are you?"

"I'm fine as well," she said, shrugging as she swept some loose hairs out of her face.

"Your hair's falling out," Hermione couldn't help remarking, reaching up to more effectively brush it out of her face. "This wasn't quite the situation in which I was hoping to see it down for the first time, but I'll take it," she laughed.

"Not quite the occasion I was hoping to see you again in, either, but I suppose I'm not going to dispute it," Minerva laughed, ignoring the sounds of yelling and the explosions beyond the door.

"We should go back out there," Hermione said softly as there was another, louder explosion next to the door.

"We should," Minerva admitted. "I'll see you when it's over?"

"Of course you will," Hermione said easily, smiling and quickly leaning up to kiss her softly on the cheek. "Be careful, for me?"

"I'm always careful. And you better not go pulling any kind of Gryffindor stunts on me, I need you to be around once this is over."

"Always," she smiled and then dashed back into the fray, firing off curses as quickly as she could move her wand, Minerva following her with a small smile, that soon changed into a determined grimace.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHG**

"Harry have you seen Hermione?" Minerva asked the shorter man quietly some time later, as he sat off to the side of the grieving Weasley family.

"She was with us, I think he went to go get some air," he paused. "You're going to go out there and pronounce your undying love, right?"

"How could I not?" she smiled. "We both survived, and the chances of us doing so were very slim. It would be foolish to overlook such a gift, certainly if I were to do so because I felt it threatened my principles or something."

"Good, we need some happiness at this time," he said firmly, smiling weakly at the older woman. "But if you hurt her..." he trailed off, his smile growing.

"Then I will help you ceremonially execute me," she said as jovially as she could manage. "If I hurt her then you'll leave her to deal with me, I'm sure."

"She wouldn't have it any other way," he chuckled. "Now go make my best friend happy, you're the only one that can." She nodded at him firmly, still smiling, hand on his shoulder, then turned and swept from the room.

"What did she want?" Ron asked quietly.

"She wanted to know where Hermione was. Because they're in love, as I figured even you must have noticed by now."

"Blimey, I'm glad they worked that out," they shared a smile.

**HGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHGMMHG**

"Harry told me you'd be out here," Minerva said softly as she stopped next to the younger woman, taking her hand within her own.

"Yeah I told him to, if you came looking for me," she shrugged. "I just had to get away from the others. I always knew that some of us were going to die, but I can't help but be glad that it wasn't either of us," she paused. "Does that make me a horrible person?"

"No, no," the emerald clad witch said softly, drawing her into a hug. "Every person in that hall is thinking exactly the same thing as you; "at least it wasn't me". We'll always be thankful, and we'll always honour those who died in such horrible circumstances by continuing to live our lives as happily and as fully as we possibly can," she took a deep breath. "And I intend to do so, and not waste a second longer," she pulled away from the hug so that she could look into the younger woman's eyes. "I love you, Hermione Granger, regardless of the fact that you're technically still my student and I'm almost three times your age."

Hermione grinned, eyes full of tears. "I was so scared that you weren't going to say it, I was worried that you'd let such stupid things hold you back," she laughed. "I was expecting you to say it wasn't plausible, that I just had a crush on you, that what I felt wasn't real. I thought you'd just knock my feelings aside and ignore your own."

"How can I, in the face of what happened here?" she grinned back at her. "I had to tell you, I couldn't just let the shortcomings of society and other people's opinions stop me."

Hermione laughed again and kissed her quickly, until the older woman pulled her in and kissed her for a good, long time.

"Shall we go back into the hall?" Minerva invited, still holding her hand.

"Yes, though I refuse to let go of your hand so don't even ask."

"Cheeky," she laughed, grinning unabashedly at the younger woman.

"You look even more beautiful when you're smiling," Hermione said, returning the grin with one of her own, and then her look suddenly became mischievous, and suddenly her few remaining hairpins were zooming into the brunette's outstretched hand. "You have beautiful hair, more people should see it," she carefully pocketed the pins and then led the way back into the Great Hall.


End file.
